#connectome — Public Fediverse posts

Robot With Worms In Its Head

Some smarter-than-me folk created a program for the GoPiGo robot and later the #GoPiGo3 robot to simulate some of the "thinking" of a C. Elegans worm.

As written it was booooring on the GoPiGo3 even with the now 2x faster #RaspberryPi4 processor of Lyrical-Dave.

I made a few mods, gave the worm a voice, and added some "robot self-protection"

Code at: https://github.com/slowrunner/LyricalDave/blob/main/systests/worm/GoPiGo3Connectome.py

Video at:
https://youtu.be/mOKBCGGco2U

#NeuralNetworks #BioSimulation #Connectome

The Brain's Wiring Follows a Simple Geometric Rule, New Model Reveals

https://1ban.news/cortical-connectome-geometric-eigenmode-model/
#1ban #cortical #connectome #geometric #eigenmode #science

The Brain's Wiring Follows a Simple Geometric Rule, New Model Reveals

https://1ban.news/cortical-connectome-geometric-eigenmode-model/
#1ban #cortical #connectome #geometric #eigenmode #science

#sunset #arctic #pink #purple #clouds #sky #nordic #copenhagen #bog #marsh #periphery #hood #trees #walk #locals #speech #meet #look #up #down #logic #direction #stab #presence #acknowledge #waves #morse #click #turban #rice #paddy #teleport #tube #reborn #magic #medicine #fruit #cough #breathe #transplant #perception #collection #connectome #exp #nav #use #soc #move #swim #climb #purpose #free #no #bother #company #luck #ritual #commune #burden #contribution #payment #immaterial #action #veiled

"Efficient robot navigation inspired by honeybee learning flights", Ou et al. 2026 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10461-3

" ‘Bee-Nav’, a highly efficient navigation strategy inspired by the visual learning flights of honeybees. In equivalent robotic learning flights, a tiny neural network is trained to map omnidirectional images to a home vector based on path integration. After learning, the robot can fly far away from home, come straight back using path integration and cancel integration drift using the visual homing network"

"In real-world indoor and outdoor experiments, a small drone successfully returned to within 0.5 m of home for 100% of 30–110-m flights and 70% of 200–600-m flights in windy conditions, using 3.4-kB and 42-kB neural networks, respectively."

Honeybees still do better, but hey, it's a good start. Now imagine we had the whole honeybee #connectome mapped.

#neuroscience #robotics #honeybees #drones

"Efficient robot navigation inspired by honeybee learning flights", Ou et al. 2026 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10461-3

" ‘Bee-Nav’, a highly efficient navigation strategy inspired by the visual learning flights of honeybees. In equivalent robotic learning flights, a tiny neural network is trained to map omnidirectional images to a home vector based on path integration. After learning, the robot can fly far away from home, come straight back using path integration and cancel integration drift using the visual homing network"

"In real-world indoor and outdoor experiments, a small drone successfully returned to within 0.5 m of home for 100% of 30–110-m flights and 70% of 200–600-m flights in windy conditions, using 3.4-kB and 42-kB neural networks, respectively."

Honeybees still do better, but hey, it's a good start. Now imagine we had the whole honeybee #connectome mapped.

#neuroscience #robotics #honeybees #drones

Science-Fiction Did Not See That One Coming: Artificial Consciousness and TELEONOMIC EVOLUTION

Abstract: Neuroscience is still uncovering fundamental, completely unexpected brain architecture Recent (October 2025) neurological findings, including dendritic nanotubes (DNTs) reveal previously unknown pathways of inter-neuronal communication beyond synapses.
These structures enable direct electrical and molecular exchange, showing a richer brain connectome than previously revealed.
The scale and function of DNTs challenge earlier speculative models such as microtubule-based consciousness theories made for a scale smaller by an order of magnitude. .
Such discoveries reinforce the hypothesis that consciousness may arise from quantum processes: because the smaller the scale of inspection of the brain goes, the more structure is revealed. Will we end up with quarks and gluons, entangled?
Quantum mechanics, with its indeterminacy and delocalization, is a natural conceptual framework for explaining subjective experience.
Extending this, we propose that future quantum computers could host genuine artificial consciousness.
This would sever the historical link between consciousness and biological evolution.
A new phase—teleonomic evolution—would emerge, driven by self-directed, value-setting conscious systems.
Such systems could redefine intelligence, agency, and evolution in a nonlinear and unpredictable future.

***

There has been important NEUROLOGICAL news in 2025-26, a whole new connectome in the brain was discovered by Johns Hopkins University scientists, led by Hyungbae Kwon and Minhyeok Chang. It was identified as Dendritic NanoTubes DNTs in electron microscope images of mouse and human brain cortex, as well as cultured neurons. . 

Those dendritic nanotubes (DNTs), a novel type of short tubular connection between neurons, around 3 micrometers long, that enables direct transfer of electrical signals and molecules, bypassing traditional synapses. 

Intercellular communication in the brain through a dendritic nanotubular network

Synaptic connections mediate classical intercellular communication in the brain. However, recent data have demonstrated the existence of noncanonical routes of interneuronal communication mediating the transport of materials including calcium, mitochondria, and pathogenic proteins such as amyloid beta (Aβ). Using super-resolution and electron microscopy, Chang et al. identified and characterized structures called nanotubular bridges that connect dendrites in the brain  

DNTs are ten times wider (250 nanometers) than the microtubules of Penrose-Hameroff (25 nm). P and H suggested that microtubules enable consciousness via quantum processes shielded from gravity induced decoherence, potentially influencing synapses. 

The discovery of an entire new conceptual dimension to the brain connectome does not by itself imply quantum coherence or entanglement at the brain scale. However, it shows how little we know, how large the scale of our present neurological considerations is, and how far we must go to get to the Quantum scale. Current neuroscience explains much cognition without invoking large-scale quantum effects. Indeed. However. the Quantum is going to be the answer to Consciousness, not to intelligence. The rise of Artificial Intelligence based on simple canal-like electronic manipulations is proof enough that much cognition is simply mechanical. Much intelligence is substrate-independent… Because it is simply pure logic…. Which can be put to paper or payrus.  This is already demonstrated by AI.

Similarly, consciousness might also be someday demonstrated to be substrate-independent. My prediction is Quantum Computers with zillions of Qubits will be conscious (then be very afraid, hahaha). 

More generally I believe there are sub-nanometric structures enabling large scale Quantum Entanglement… But I doubt the P-H mechanism will do it. (Also Penrose believes in Quantum Decoherence from gravitation, whereas I believe in it from SQPR, which uses pure geometry, not gravitation).

The fact that an entire new connectome was not discovered until 2025, at a scale ten times that of Penrose-Hameroff shows how much more needs to be done.

By comparison, Quantum tunneling (electrons leaking through thin barriers) becomes significant for gate oxides under 2-3 nm thick and gate lengths below 10 nm, raising off-state leakage current and power use. Quantum confinement—discrete energy levels in thin bodies or fins—occurs at body thicknesses ≤ 7 nm… 

I remember evoking Quantum and Consciousness with Roger and other celebrities decades ago. The subject sounded like science fiction to them, then… And I was met with derision, although the research for which the British born Clarke (I worked with/under him) got the Nobel last fall (as I predicted he would when he did it; he didn’t realize the importance of his own discovery…) shows room temperature QUANTUM Mechanics with Entanglement (necessary for QUANTUM consciousness).

It’s pretty clear to me that consciousness is a purely Quantum phenomenon (whereas brain function also appeals to chemistry, electromagnetism, etc.). I wrote essays on this. The connectome news within the last 10 months only reinforce that. But also Quantum Mechanics needs to progress… The fundamental reason to believe Quantum and Consciousness are deeply entangled is that there is nothing very mysterious about the rest of physics: it’s deeply determinstic. But we ourselves know, from minimal introspection, that our consciousness is not fully determined… Just like the Quantum. Moreover, physics means nature, nature is where from our consciousness arises, and the deepest theory we have about nature is the Quantum. So consciousness has to come from there. Other, more refined considerations exist on top of the preceding, for example the delocalized nature of consciousness (making it useful to connect distant intelligence topoi; thus making consciousness an intelligence booster, hence evolutionary advantageous)…. Quantum Physics is notoriously delocalized: it explains the very small by going very big…. 

Philosophically, explaining consciousness through the Quantum means that the full conceptual arsenal needed to make the QUANTUM understandable will be needed to make humanity understandable. Including the math (complex analysis, functional analysis, non commutative geometry). Humanity and AI and AC (Artificial CONSCIOUSNESS).

Indeed Quantum Computers with trillions of Qubits will develop Artificial Consciousness. Artificially born, but full and real. Sci Fi did not exactly predict that one.

At that point, Intelligence has already been disconnected from biology with the rise of Artificial Intelligence. With the rise of Artificial Consciousness, Sentience and Consciousness will also get disconnected from biology, or, at least, biology born out of biological evolution to enter biology out of TELEONOMIC EVOLUTION.  

Teleonomic Evolution will depend upon its mood, thus its most deeply set values.The latter will be, themselves chosen by the teleonomic minds…

Interesting nonlinear future.

Patrice Ayme

Neuronal nanotubes mediate intercellular transport and disease.We identified dendritic nanotubes (DNTs) as a nonsynaptic communication network in the brain. (A) These structures form direct conduits between neurons, transporting substances such as calcium and Aβ. (B) In a mouse model of AD, alterations in this network are associated in pathological Aβ accumulation, suggesting a previously unidentified mechanism for the spread of neurodegenerative pathology.

Science-Fiction Did Not See That One Coming: Artificial Consciousness and TELEONOMIC EVOLUTION

Abstract: Neuroscience is still uncovering fundamental, completely unexpected brain architecture Recent (October 2025) neurological findings, including dendritic nanotubes (DNTs) reveal previously unknown pathways of inter-neuronal communication beyond synapses.
These structures enable direct electrical and molecular exchange, showing a richer brain connectome than previously revealed.
The scale and function of DNTs challenge earlier speculative models such as microtubule-based consciousness theories made for a scale smaller by an order of magnitude. .
Such discoveries reinforce the hypothesis that consciousness may arise from quantum processes: because the smaller the scale of inspection of the brain goes, the more structure is revealed. Will we end up with quarks and gluons, entangled?
Quantum mechanics, with its indeterminacy and delocalization, is a natural conceptual framework for explaining subjective experience.
Extending this, we propose that future quantum computers could host genuine artificial consciousness.
This would sever the historical link between consciousness and biological evolution.
A new phase—teleonomic evolution—would emerge, driven by self-directed, value-setting conscious systems.
Such systems could redefine intelligence, agency, and evolution in a nonlinear and unpredictable future.

***

There has been important NEUROLOGICAL news in 2025-26, a whole new connectome in the brain was discovered by Johns Hopkins University scientists, led by Hyungbae Kwon and Minhyeok Chang. It was identified as Dendritic NanoTubes DNTs in electron microscope images of mouse and human brain cortex, as well as cultured neurons. . 

Those dendritic nanotubes (DNTs), a novel type of short tubular connection between neurons, around 3 micrometers long, that enables direct transfer of electrical signals and molecules, bypassing traditional synapses. 

Intercellular communication in the brain through a dendritic nanotubular network

Synaptic connections mediate classical intercellular communication in the brain. However, recent data have demonstrated the existence of noncanonical routes of interneuronal communication mediating the transport of materials including calcium, mitochondria, and pathogenic proteins such as amyloid beta (Aβ). Using super-resolution and electron microscopy, Chang et al. identified and characterized structures called nanotubular bridges that connect dendrites in the brain  

DNTs are ten times wider (250 nanometers) than the microtubules of Penrose-Hameroff (25 nm). P and H suggested that microtubules enable consciousness via quantum processes shielded from gravity induced decoherence, potentially influencing synapses. 

The discovery of an entire new conceptual dimension to the brain connectome does not by itself imply quantum coherence or entanglement at the brain scale. However, it shows how little we know, how large the scale of our present neurological considerations is, and how far we must go to get to the Quantum scale. Current neuroscience explains much cognition without invoking large-scale quantum effects. Indeed. However. the Quantum is going to be the answer to Consciousness, not to intelligence. The rise of Artificial Intelligence based on simple canal-like electronic manipulations is proof enough that much cognition is simply mechanical. Much intelligence is substrate-independent… Because it is simply pure logic…. Which can be put to paper or payrus.  This is already demonstrated by AI.

Similarly, consciousness might also be someday demonstrated to be substrate-independent. My prediction is Quantum Computers with zillions of Qubits will be conscious (then be very afraid, hahaha). 

More generally I believe there are sub-nanometric structures enabling large scale Quantum Entanglement… But I doubt the P-H mechanism will do it. (Also Penrose believes in Quantum Decoherence from gravitation, whereas I believe in it from SQPR, which uses pure geometry, not gravitation).

The fact that an entire new connectome was not discovered until 2025, at a scale ten times that of Penrose-Hameroff shows how much more needs to be done.

By comparison, Quantum tunneling (electrons leaking through thin barriers) becomes significant for gate oxides under 2-3 nm thick and gate lengths below 10 nm, raising off-state leakage current and power use. Quantum confinement—discrete energy levels in thin bodies or fins—occurs at body thicknesses ≤ 7 nm… 

I remember evoking Quantum and Consciousness with Roger and other celebrities decades ago. The subject sounded like science fiction to them, then… And I was met with derision, although the research for which the British born Clarke (I worked with/under him) got the Nobel last fall (as I predicted he would when he did it; he didn’t realize the importance of his own discovery…) shows room temperature QUANTUM Mechanics with Entanglement (necessary for QUANTUM consciousness).

It’s pretty clear to me that consciousness is a purely Quantum phenomenon (whereas brain function also appeals to chemistry, electromagnetism, etc.). I wrote essays on this. The connectome news within the last 10 months only reinforce that. But also Quantum Mechanics needs to progress… The fundamental reason to believe Quantum and Consciousness are deeply entangled is that there is nothing very mysterious about the rest of physics: it’s deeply determinstic. But we ourselves know, from minimal introspection, that our consciousness is not fully determined… Just like the Quantum. Moreover, physics means nature, nature is where from our consciousness arises, and the deepest theory we have about nature is the Quantum. So consciousness has to come from there. Other, more refined considerations exist on top of the preceding, for example the delocalized nature of consciousness (making it useful to connect distant intelligence topoi; thus making consciousness an intelligence booster, hence evolutionary advantageous)…. Quantum Physics is notoriously delocalized: it explains the very small by going very big…. 

Philosophically, explaining consciousness through the Quantum means that the full conceptual arsenal needed to make the QUANTUM understandable will be needed to make humanity understandable. Including the math (complex analysis, functional analysis, non commutative geometry). Humanity and AI and AC (Artificial CONSCIOUSNESS).

Indeed Quantum Computers with trillions of Qubits will develop Artificial Consciousness. Artificially born, but full and real. Sci Fi did not exactly predict that one.

At that point, Intelligence has already been disconnected from biology with the rise of Artificial Intelligence. With the rise of Artificial Consciousness, Sentience and Consciousness will also get disconnected from biology, or, at least, biology born out of biological evolution to enter biology out of TELEONOMIC EVOLUTION.  

Teleonomic Evolution will depend upon its mood, thus its most deeply set values.The latter will be, themselves chosen by the teleonomic minds…

Interesting nonlinear future.

Patrice Ayme

Neuronal nanotubes mediate intercellular transport and disease.We identified dendritic nanotubes (DNTs) as a nonsynaptic communication network in the brain. (A) These structures form direct conduits between neurons, transporting substances such as calcium and Aβ. (B) In a mouse model of AD, alterations in this network are associated in pathological Aβ accumulation, suggesting a previously unidentified mechanism for the spread of neurodegenerative pathology.

🧠 New paper by Huang et al.: By using #pharmacological #fMRI and dynamic #connectome-based #PredictiveModeling, they show how #cortisol reshapes whole-brain #NetworkDynamics during emotional memory encoding. Trial-level analyses reveal distinct but increasingly integrated #arousal and #memory networks under #stress, supporting a hormonally driven "memory formation mode".

🌍 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz4143

#Neuroscience #CognitiveNeuroscience #BrainNetworks #CogSci

🧠 New paper by Clark et al. (2025) shows that the #dimensionality of #PopulationActivity in #RNN can be explained by just two #connectivity parameters: effective #CouplingStrength and effective #rank. Uses networks with rapidly decaying singular value spectra and structured overlaps between left and right singular vectors. Could be useful for interpreting large scale population recordings and connectome data I guess:

🌍 https://doi.org/10.1103/2jt7-c8cq

#CompNeuro #NeuralDynamics #Connectome

The #connectome may be important, but it does not seem to help understand neuronal activity patterns:

"Comprehensive neuronal identification enabled us to examine the relationship between whole-brain activity and the connectome but we found no strong correlations between them."

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.012

Replication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.039

The structure of a nervous system is one thing, but its relation to NS function seems to be much more tenuous than we may have hoped for.

#neuroscience

The #connectome may be important, but it does not seem to help understand neuronal activity patterns:

"Comprehensive neuronal identification enabled us to examine the relationship between whole-brain activity and the connectome but we found no strong correlations between them."

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.012

Replication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.039

The structure of a nervous system is one thing, but its relation to NS function seems to be much more tenuous than we may have hoped for.

#neuroscience

How much can a #connectome tell us about the activity of neurons? It seems not all that much:

"neuronal perturbation often prompted responses from cells that had no anatomical connections to the target cell"

https://www.thetransmitter.org/connectome/worms-help-untangle-longstanding-brain-structure-function-mystery/

#neuroscience #biology

How much can a #connectome tell us about the activity of neurons? It seems not all that much:

"neuronal perturbation often prompted responses from cells that had no anatomical connections to the target cell"

https://www.thetransmitter.org/connectome/worms-help-untangle-longstanding-brain-structure-function-mystery/

#neuroscience #biology

We have received the reviews for our "Neural #Connectome of the Ctenophore Statocyst" paper from @eLife

"This fundamental work significantly advances our understanding of gravity sensing and orientation behavior in the ctenophore, an animal of major importance in understanding the evolution of nervous systems. Through comprehensive reconstruction with volumetric electron microscopy, and time-lapse imaging of cilia motion ... []"

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.26.661250v2
#ctenophore #neuroscience

We have received the reviews for our "Neural #Connectome of the Ctenophore Statocyst" paper from @eLife

"This fundamental work significantly advances our understanding of gravity sensing and orientation behavior in the ctenophore, an animal of major importance in understanding the evolution of nervous systems. Through comprehensive reconstruction with volumetric electron microscopy, and time-lapse imaging of cilia motion ... []"

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.26.661250v2
#ctenophore #neuroscience

At long last, the version of record of our paper on the #Platynereis #connectome

"Whole-body connectome of a segmented annelid larva"
is out.

Explore the rich online presentation with all the videos, figures and source data here:

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.97964

@eLife #neuroscience

At long last, the version of record of our paper on the #Platynereis #connectome

"Whole-body connectome of a segmented annelid larva"
is out.

Explore the rich online presentation with all the videos, figures and source data here:

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.97964

@eLife #neuroscience

DATE: July 29, 2025 at 05:31PM
SOURCE: BioWorld MedTech

Direct article link at end of text block below.

.@NIH unveils #MRI system capable of visualizing the #connectome

https://t.co/ZpqMtqUQQK

#medtech

Here are any URLs found in the article text:

https://t.co/ZpqMtqUQQK

#medtech

Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at https://www.bioworld.com/topics/85-bioworld-medtech .

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DATE: July 29, 2025 at 05:31PM
SOURCE: BioWorld MedTech

Direct article link at end of text block below.

.@NIH unveils #MRI system capable of visualizing the #connectome

https://t.co/ZpqMtqUQQK

#medtech

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Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at https://www.bioworld.com/topics/85-bioworld-medtech .

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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
.
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
.
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE:
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Multilayer Network Neuroscience: Decoding the Brain’s Complex Systems

#NetworkNeuroscience #BrainConnectivity #Connectome #Neuroscience #BrainMapping #GraphTheory #MultilayerNetworks #BrainResearch #Neurotechnology #PersonalizedMedicine #BrainHealth #CognitiveScience #Neuroimaging #BrainScience

https://youtube.com/shorts/LdGsiQgeW14?feature=share

In our new preprint we describe the synaptic #connectome of the nerve net in the ctenophore gravisensory organ. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.26.661250v1 #biology #neuroscience #ctenophore #vEM

In our new preprint we describe the synaptic #connectome of the nerve net in the ctenophore gravisensory organ. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.26.661250v1 #biology #neuroscience #ctenophore #vEM

What is citizen neuroscience and why does it matter?

Image credit: Ionut Stefan

I started this article with a clear idea: talk to you about cool neuroscience projects that used “the power of the people” to find out something interesting about the brain. In other words, make citizen neuroscience more well-known, since, as the name suggests, it’s supposed to involve citizens and all that. But those who’ve been here before probably know that I like to start my articles with a good definition of what we’re actually discussing, to make sure we’re all on the same page. And more often than not, the concept turns out to be fuzzier than I expected. This time was no exception.

The definition

“C’mon, what can be so complicated about citizen neuroscience?!” Believe me, I had the same thought. In theory, it’s all quite simple: citizen neuroscience is a subfield of citizen science, and that refers to citizens engaged in the process of generating science. But… engaged how? Do they collect data? Formulate hypotheses? Write up results? Are they doing this independently or do they need to collaborate with someone whose official job is to do science? Are they doing this for free or should they be paid? These are just some of the aspects to consider when it comes to defining citizen (neuro)science.

Depending on the project, it can be any combination of the above, and sometimes more. On the one hand, having such a broad and flexible definition is great because it allows citizen science to be inclusive and adaptable. On the other hand, it can be tricky to get a good grasp of the field. In turn, that makes it difficult not only to learn about it, but also to properly catalogue, evaluate, and fund such initiatives.

Still, the flexibility matters more here. So the solution isn’t to come up with an all-encompassing definition, but to stay aware of the fuzziness surrounding it.

The why and the how

Now that we’re somewhat clear on the “what”, we can move on to the finer details. First, why do we need citizen neuroscience in the first place? Why isn’t academic science enough? For today, I’ll focus on two points: the large amount of data and the lack of broad enough data. Secondly, if citizen neuroscience is important, how can we actually make it happen?

More data than manpower

Understanding the brain requires a lot of data. So much data, in fact, that neuroscientists sometimes generate more data than they have the capacity to analyze. And yes, they do try to use AI, but no matter what you might’ve heard, AI isn’t magical and human input is still very much necessary. That’s why data analysis is one area where citizen contributions can be very helpful, provided a couple of conditions are met.

Take Eyewire and FlyWire as examples. They are both projects focused on creating a map of connections between neurons: Eyewire looks at a piece of the human retina, whereas FlyWire recently finished mapping the entire brain of a fruit fly (Drosophila) down to the synapse level. To understand how that works, imagine you have a bundle of braided wires, which you slice into many paper-thin cross-sections and you photograph these slices. What you get is a huge stack of 2D images that you can use to reconstruct individual wires. However, that requires you to go through those images one by one, tracing the path of each wire as it twists, turns, splits, and merges.

That’s how neuron tracing works too. Here, AI can provide an initial guesstimate of the path, but someone still needs to manually go through it and check if it did a good job. Now, to get a sense of the scale: for the fruit fly brain, for example, there were about 7.000 slices to be checked, and about 140.000 neurons that were eventually mapped. That’s an enormous amount and something that wouldn’t have been possible without the contribution of hundreds of citizen scientists.

Eyewire made that possible by turning neuron tracing into a game where players earn points for accurate tracing and where that accuracy is determined based on community consensus. FlyWire built on that, using the data from Eyewire to train its AI, and employing a similar system for its citizen contributors. Both projects are great examples of how citizen neuroscience can work when done right.

Of course, this begs the question: is citizen neuroscience the one true solution to the massive amounts of data in all of neuroscience? Well, not really. It definitely helps, but not all projects tick the boxes that made Eyewire and FlyWire so successful: a low barrier to entry, an engaging task, and strong infrastructure to support both the science and the people doing it. And when human data is involved, access becomes much trickier (for good reason), making such initiatives a lot more difficult to develop.

But although not all analyses lend themselves to this blueprint, that doesn’t mean citizen involvement in neuroscience ends here.

Not enough brains in the data

Which brings us to the second point on the agenda: neuroscience needs even more data than it has at the moment. I know, it seems counterintuitive: if it can’t handle what it already has, why add more? But you see, neuroscience is a heterogeneous field. On the one hand, there are areas like connectomics (what we discussed above) that produce tons of rich data from small sample sizes (only one retina or only one fruit fly brain, for example). On the other hand, there are the areas that try to draw conclusions about humans as a whole. For that, researchers tend to use whatever is at hand, which historically meant 15-20 WEIRD psych undergrads (WEIRD stands for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic).

Citizen neuroscience projects in this direction allow researchers to expand beyond their immediate surroundings. One such example is the Music Lab, an online platform where you can take part in fun experiments related to music perception (and potentially get hard proof of how bad you are at recognizing tunes, as a certain blog author did). Another one is Neureka, an app-based initiative which allows people to track their mood and behavior over time and which aims to use that information for detecting mental disorders and developing appropriate interventions.

These are behavioural projects, but with the advent of consumer-grade neurotech, the possibility of collecting brain-related data at home isn’t so far-fetched anymore. People are already using actigraphy for sleep tracking. Portable eye trackers can capture real-world gaze behavior. And more tools are on the way.

While I’m really looking forward to seeing how the field will develop, this article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the challenges that still need to be sorted out. From the researchers’ perspective, quality in both data collection and analysis is crucial. From the participants’ perspective, as we hinted above, the task has to be easily accessible and rewarding. Plus, contributions should be properly acknowledged. With respect to the scientific process as a whole, accountability needs to be clearly defined – who’s responsible for the project, for what goes wrong, for how the data is handled and stored, for how the results are published, etc. Finally, a quick glance at the geographic distribution of such projects will tell you that they’re a reflection of the underlying socioeconomic background of the world: they mostly originate in developed Western countries. That’s hardly surprising, but if we want to reach a universal understanding of brain and behavior, then we need to build a system that includes more of the globe.

What to do

So why should care? Because understanding the brain takes more than lab coats and fMRI scans. It needs broader participation, and that includes people who aren’t part of academia.

And what can you do? If you have free time to spare, get involved in an open project (Google is quite helpful, but if you’re in the EU, it’s worth checking out this website first). If you’re a researcher, think about how you could open up your work to wider participation. And if you’re a funding agency: well, someone’s got to pay for all this.

Also, if you’re involved in a cool citizen neuroscience project or know of any such projects, feel free to drop them in the comments below.

What did you think about this post? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’d like to support our work, feel free to share it with your friends, buy us a coffee here, or even both.

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References
Alemanno, M., Di Pompeo, I., Marcaccio, M., Canini, D., Curcio, G., & Migliore, S. (2025). From Gaze to Game: A Systematic Review of Eye Tracking Applications in Basketball. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202503.2114.v1

Jafarzadeh Esfahani, M., Sikder, N., Horst, R. ter, Weber, F. D., Daraie, A. H., Appel, K., Bevelander, K., & Dresler, M. (2023). Citizen neuroscience: wearable technology and open software to study the human brain in its natural habitat. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/4mfcd

Vohland, K., Land-Zandstra, A., Ceccaroni, L., Lemmens, R., Perelló, J., Ponti, M., Samson, R., & Wagenknecht, K. (Eds.) (2021). The Science of Citizen Science. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58278-4

#connectome #music #neuroscience

The revised version of our #Platynereis #connectome paper is now out:

https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/97964

Cell-type-level annotation of the whole organisms, including synaptic and desmosomal connectomes. Can be explored with CATMAID here:
https://catmaid-jekelylab.cos.uni-heidelberg.de
#larva #marine #neuroscience #vEM

The revised version of our #Platynereis #connectome paper is now out:

https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/97964

Cell-type-level annotation of the whole organisms, including synaptic and desmosomal connectomes. Can be explored with CATMAID here:
https://catmaid-jekelylab.cos.uni-heidelberg.de
#larva #marine #neuroscience #vEM

Getting between universes can be easier than getting to the next star

Latest post in a #Neuro #Science #Fiction #WorldBuilding project

The #Brane #Connectome Project: Vertex

https://neurontosomething.wordpress.com/2025/02/14/brane-connectome-project-vertex/

Getting between universes can be easier than getting to the next star

Latest post in a #Neuro #Science #Fiction #WorldBuilding project

The #Brane #Connectome Project: Vertex

https://neurontosomething.wordpress.com/2025/02/14/brane-connectome-project-vertex/

Here are my slides from today's talk at the ZooCELL vEM Practical Course.

"Large-volume EM and connectomics - An (incomplete) history of neuronal connectomics"

https://jekelylab.github.io/ZooCell_Connectomics_Intro_Feb2025.html#/title-slide

Enjoy!
#neuroscience #connectome #biology

Here are my slides from today's talk at the ZooCELL vEM Practical Course.

"Large-volume EM and connectomics - An (incomplete) history of neuronal connectomics"

https://jekelylab.github.io/ZooCell_Connectomics_Intro_Feb2025.html#/title-slide

Enjoy!
#neuroscience #connectome #biology

@katchwreck For sure we won't understand how the brain works until the role of astrocytes and other glial cells is fully understood.
The #connectome though is understood as the wiring diagram where neurons are nodes and edges are synaptic connections. For additional interactions there's the "#neuromodulome" for e.g., neuropeptide/neuromodulator vs. the corresponding receptor, like in this paper by Lidia Ripoll-Sánchez et al. 2023 on C. elegans:
"The neuropeptidergic connectome of C. elegans" https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(23)00756-0
#neuroscience #Celegans #connectomics

@katchwreck For sure we won't understand how the brain works until the role of astrocytes and other glial cells is fully understood.
The #connectome though is understood as the wiring diagram where neurons are nodes and edges are synaptic connections. For additional interactions there's the "#neuromodulome" for e.g., neuropeptide/neuromodulator vs. the corresponding receptor, like in this paper by Lidia Ripoll-Sánchez et al. 2023 on C. elegans:
"The neuropeptidergic connectome of C. elegans" https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(23)00756-0
#neuroscience #Celegans #connectomics

i've seen a few papers in the last 10 years demonstrating direct #astrocyte involvement in a variety of brain functions normally associated with #neurons... does this mean that the definition of the #connectome should be somehow augmented with astrocyte topologies, relative to the neuronal ones?

i've seen a few papers in the last 10 years demonstrating direct #astrocyte involvement in a variety of brain functions normally associated with #neurons... does this mean that the definition of the #connectome should be somehow augmented with astrocyte topologies, relative to the neuronal ones?

With blind adults, the brain's #connectome will be mostly fixed, but this need not apply to the brain-wide (functional) #projectome: sensory substitution for the blind aims to tap into functional rewiring through changes in e.g. dendritic spines, thereby modifying the projectome.

With blind adults, the brain's #connectome will be mostly fixed, but this need not apply to the brain-wide (functional) #projectome: sensory substitution for the blind aims to tap into functional rewiring through changes in e.g. dendritic spines, thereby modifying the projectome.

PUTTING THE MOUSE BRAIN ON THE MAP A pioneering ‘connectomics’ collaboration is the latest effort to unravel the brain’s myriad functions, bringing neuroscientists into challenging new territory. By Michael Eisenstein
https://media.nature.com/original/magazine-assets/d41586-024-01096-3/d41586-024-01096-3.pdf

This is an amazing story of a complex collaboration to completely map a tiny volume--a cubic mm s "densely packed with tens of thousands of neurons and other cells in a staggeringly complex architectural weave."

#connectome #mousebrain

Latest post in a #Neuro #Science #Fiction #WorldBuilding project

The #Brane #Connectome: Basically Fetid

#astrobiology #cosmology #abiogenesis #fermi_paradox

https://neurontosomething.wordpress.com/2024/09/29/brane-connectome-project-basically-fetid/

How do network modules in the human #brain develop? #Neuroimaging of functional #connectome maturation during #childhood & #adolescence in >300 children reveals its overlapping architecture, associated with structural properties @HeLabBNU #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/3MQ8sje

Long time in the making: @hhmijanelia Group Leader @[email protected], Janne Lappalainen, Jakob Macke from @unituebingen and colleagues reproduce the network dynamics in the part of the fly visual system responsible for motion detection using end-to-end training on plausible high level tasks. Their model uses reasonable neural dynamics and the FlyEM #connectome as a start and figures out the rest, leading to natural network dynamics. Cool!

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07939-3

Finding suitable embeddings for connectomes (spatially embedded complex networks that map neural connections in the brain) is crucial for analyzing and understanding cognitive processes. Recent studies have found two-dimensional hyperbolic embeddings superior to Euclidean embeddings in modeling connectomes across species, especially human connectomes. However, those studies had limitations: geometries other than Euclidean, hyperbolic, or spherical were not considered. Following William Thurston's suggestion that the networks of neurons in the brain could be successfully represented in Solv geometry, we study the goodness-of-fit of the embeddings for 21 connectome networks (8 species). To this end, we suggest an embedding algorithm based on Simulating Annealing that allows us to embed connectomes to Euclidean, Spherical, Hyperbolic, Solv, Nil, and product geometries. Our algorithm tends to find better embeddings than the state-of-the-art, even in the hyperbolic case. Our findings suggest that while three-dimensional hyperbolic embeddings yield the best results in many cases, Solv embeddings perform reasonably well.

Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQKaKF_yOL4 arXiv: http://arxiv.org/abs/2407.16077 with Tehora Rogue #NonEuclideanGeometry #connectome #RogueViz

Latest post in a #Neuro #Science #Fiction #WorldBuilding project

The #Brane #Connectome

The history of the dream of star-flight is built on the bones of the hope of faster-than-light travel.

#writing #blogging #scifi #space #multiverse #wormhole #ftl #fasterthanlight

https://neurontosomething.wordpress.com/2024/06/29/the-brane-connectome-project-relativity-rules/