Real-time neural activity in visual cortex of mouse watching Orson Welles' Touch of EvilALLEN INSTITUTEThe Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, Washington, today (July 13) unveiled its “brain observatory,” a vast catalogue of neural activity in the visual system of mice. The data could be a step toward understanding perception, cognition, and—ultimately, consciousness—the researchers behind the initiative said in a statement.
“No one has ever taken this kind of industrial approach to surveying the active brain at cellular resolution in order to measure how the brain processes information in real time,” Christof Koch, president and chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, said in the statement. “Just like in astronomy, modelers and theoreticians worldwide can now study this wealth of data using their own analysis tools.”
Allen Institute researchers conducted in vivo calcium imaging of the visual cortices of mice as the animals were shown natural scenes, simple motion such as drifting black and white bars, or video clips—including the famous opening shot of Orson Welles’ 1958 film Touch of Evil. “During the course of the movie, neurons responded to different parts of ...
