The brain builds a strange structure in 11 dimensions
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the brain is the biggest mystery of science.
The Brain continues to amaze us with their magnificent complexity. A pioneering study that combines neuroscience with mathematics, suggests that when the brain processes information, it creates neural structures of up to 11 dimensions. Under «dimensions» scientists imply an abstract mathematical space, not physical other region. However, the researchers «found the world we can not imagine», Big Think, Henry Markram, Director Blue Brain project, the author of the new opening.
Brain building sand castles
The Aim of Blue Brain, which is based in Switzerland, is the digital creation of a “biologically detailed” simulation of the human brain. Creating a digital brain with «unprecedented» levels of biological information, scientists seek to advance our understanding of the incredibly complex the human brain in which there are about 86 billion neurons.
To get a clearer idea about how such a huge network for the formation of our thoughts and actions, the researchers used supercomputers and special branch of mathematics. The team based their current study on the digital model of the neocortex, from which he graduated in 2015. The researchers wanted to find out how responsive this digital neocortex using a mathematical system of algebraic topology. This allowed them to determine that our brain is constantly creating very complex multi-dimensional geometric shapes and spaces that look like «sand».
Without the use algebraic topology section of mathematics describing systems with any number of dimensions, visualization of multidimensional network would be impossible. Using a new mathematical approach, the researchers were able to see the high degree of organization that previously seemed «chaotic» patterns of neurons.
Algebraic topology is similar to the telescope and microscope at the same time: it can increase the scale of the network to find the hidden structure of trees in the forest and see the empty spaces – glades – all at the same time.
Study Author Catherine Hess.
In the study, researchers first conducted tests they have created a virtual brain tissue, and then confirmed the results after conducting the same experiments on real brain tissue of laboratory rats. of the stimulation of each virtual neuron is connected with others in such a way that produce a certain geometric object – click. a Large number of neurons added more dimensions, the number of which in some cases reached 11. These structures were formed around vysokonapornoj holes, which the researchers called «hollow». After the brain has processed the information, click and the cavity disappeared.
from Left: digital copy of the part of the neocortex, the most developed part of the brain. Right: shapes of various sizes and geometries representing the structure in the range from 1 to 7 measurements measurements and more. «Black hole» in the middle symbolizes the complex multidimensional space of the cavity.
The Emergence of vysokorazvityh cavities when the brain processes information means that the neurons in the network respond to incentives is extremely organized manner. It is as if the brain reacted to the stimulus, building and then destroying the tower of multidimensional blocks, starting from rods (1D), then the boards (2D), then cubes (3D), and then more complex geometries with 4D, 5D, etc. Progressive activity of the brain resembles a multi-dimensional sand castle, which materialized of sand and then splits.
This discovery allows scientists a deeper understanding of «one of the fundamental mysteries of neuroscience — the relationship between the structure of the brain and how it processes information», — said Catherine Hess Newsweek.
Researchers hope to use algebraic topography to study the role «neuroplasticity», which is the process of strengthening and weakening neural connections with stimulation — are a key component of the learning process of the brain. They see the further application of their discoveries in the study of human intellect and memory formation. The work in the journal Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience.
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