Mark Histed

Neuroscientist. We aim to understd brain networks and brain wiring, using lasers & neuro AI. Prev: policy for @democracypolicy. Personal views. Not a lab acct.

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

New preprint, on 'sequence filtering'.
Led by @CianaDeveau, Z Zhou.
We see this as a key step forw on how cortex works.

All cortical areas have dense exc-exc recurrent connectivity.
What do these connections do, esp in sensory ctx?

Our data say: they do dynamics/time.
1/4

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

I have been having a LOT of discussions lately about false precision and why microeconomics can’t answer every question we want answered.

(Also about the bad partial equilibrium assumption in complex nonlinear systems)

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

Overheard at an event this week:
“Admin law people are all the dorkiest people from law school”

I have no position on that, but also science people in science school were (are) all total dorks too.

So, solidarity?

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

@KarlDeisseroth Link https://t.co/3Y8UMCg9uf

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

Nobel Prize awarded for optogenetics.

Congrats to @KarlDeisseroth, Hegemann, and Nagel. The prize is well-deserved, for work that has been transformative.

a few quick thoughts 1/4 🧪#neuroscience

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

@KarlDeisseroth In addition to the big discoveries described in the Nobel Prize announcement, I’ll highlight this wonderful paper from Hegemann.

They characterize the photocycles of ChR2.
This kind of careful, brick-in-the-wall work is key to science.

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

This is re: Brazil. Post below is “Hard to do anything when Facebook, X, and Instagram host all political discourse.”

Turns out that media ownership matters.

If we are going to fix US democracy we simply must pry media and platform control out of the claws of billionaires.

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

@emukamel Thank you

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

@NeuroKim @ch402 Transformational moment in neuroscience (complimentary)

It will certainly be a transformational moment in science (derogatory) for other reasons!

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

Very good thread and I agree with most of this.

However there are still good open questions! 🧵

[Shahab Bakhtiari @ShahabBakht]

I had a feeling recently that seems to be corroborated by chats with colleagues, so I decided to share it here.

A lot of systems neuroscientists driven by algorithmic-level questions are going through what looks and feels like a research depression. 🧵

(1/n)

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

The reason @neurokim and I invited Chris Olah - @ch402 - to speak at Cosyne last year was exactly for what this thread surfaces. AI is advancing computational insights quickly in a way that’s changing neuro

https://t.co/mJNLxg6s6R

[Surya Ganguli @SuryaGanguli]

The difference between industry PR and rigorous academic discussion. Worth a read.

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

Sen Kennedy (R-LA) is a Rhodes Scholar who studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. He knows that good govt means avoiding political interference in science.

But Kennedy also knows the billionaire donors that control his party’s agenda want to destroy science to privatize it.

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

The imperial presidency inserting ideological kids to nitpick every professional agency decision is a terrible way to run a government, and the science agencies are the best example of that.

https://t.co/fAt81PxSB3

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

“Smashing” the Supreme Court, per @BeauBaumann

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

The Trump admin has ignored the law and Constitution, seizing money that Congress directed be spent on science.

Winning elections is necessary, but not enough, to fix this.

We are going to need to rewrite administrative law. Which requires disempowering the Supreme Court.

[Mark Histed @HistedLab]

Reforming and disempowering the Court. My take: docket control/no more cert, move them out their building, 39 justices, strengthen Congress, and a legislative package to undo the top 40 worst Roberts Court decisions (plus Chadha, Buckley and others).

https://t.co/14GIAKbxwg