Brain Size

Question 1

3 examples of things that correlate with brain size

Answer 1

Tested size
Play
Extinction rate
Tactical deception 
Behavioural flexibility 
Flying
Social group size

Question 2

We correlate brain size with:

Difficult to exclude possibility:

Answer 2

Proxies for cognitive abilities

These patterns are due to unknown correlated traits

Question 3

Describe neural organisation in:
Annelid worms
Cuttlefish
Sea anemone and seas stars

Answer 3

Annelid worms have concentration of neurons at anterior end
Cuttlefish have brain like structure
Sea anemone and stars have neural net

Question 4

Brenner

Answer 4

Created first connectome
C.elegans

Bottom up approach to behaviour

Inspired human brain project

Question 5

Cherniak

Answer 5

Looked at all possible configurations for neurons in c elegans and found the 11 ganglia have the most efficient arrangement with minimal wire cost

Question 6

Save wire

Answer 6

Wire is expensive so want most efficient arrangement

Eg. Local connectivity between ganglia that are close together

Question 7

Why anterior brain?

Answer 7

Minimal wire cost
Reduces distance to majority of sensory organs
More sensory input than output

Question 8

Are deep belief networks intelligent?

Answer 8

Designed for specific task

Depends if definition of intelligence

Question 9

Can deep belief networks tell us anything about the brain?

Answer 9

Depends how well they mimic the brain
Could model cortical layers
Don’t have neuromodulators like real brain
Always trained in supervised manner when answer is known