Why is Neuroscience so Difficult?
Mazvita Chirimuuta – School of Philo.,
Psychology & Language Sciences, Univ. of Edinburgh

Résumé : Neuroscience is difficult because the brain is extremely complicated. That’s the short answer to this question. In this talk I want to give a longer answer. Neuroscience is difficult because two common simplifying strategies may not be suitable. Reductionism offers ‘bottom up’ explanations by examining parts of the brain in vitro. Computationalism offers ‘top down’ explanations by examining brain function in silico. Reductionism assumes that context within the brain and the rest of the body, environment and behaviour is mostly irrelevant to understanding brain cells, circuits and mechanisms. Computationalism assumes that the detailed anatomy and neurochemistry of the brain is mostly irrelevant to understanding cognitive or neural function, understood as computational processes that can be simulated digitally. If both of these assumptions are not warranted, then the brain is much harder to understand than is normally assumed. I will examine recent trends in big data and computational neuroscience in order to discuss what evidence is relevant to deciding if neuroscientists can safely hold these assumptions.

Invitée par David Robbe
Lundi 2 juin à 11h – salle de conférence de l’Inmed