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Rodolphe Sepulchre is a control engineer and theorist at Cambridge University. He focuses on applying feedback control engineering principles to build circuits that model neurons and neuronal circuits. We discuss his work on mixed feedback control - positive and negative - as an underlying principle of the mixed digital and analog brain signals,, the role of neuromodulation as a controller, applying these principles to Eve Marder's lobster/crab neural circuits, building mixed-feedback neuromorphics, some feedback control history, and how "If you wish to contribute original work, be prepared to face loneliness," among other topics.

• Rodolphe's website.
• Related papers
  • Spiking Control Systems.
  • Control Across Scales by Positive and Negative Feedback.
  • Neuromorphic control. (arXiv version)
• Related episodes:
  • BI 130 Eve Marder: Modulation of Networks
  • BI 119 Henry Yin: The Crisis in Neuroscience

0:00 - Intro 4:38 - Control engineer 9:52 - Control vs. dynamical systems 13:34 - Building vs. understanding 17:38 - Mixed feedback signals 26:00 - Robustness 28:28 - Eve Marder 32:00 - Loneliness 37:35 - Across levels 44:04 - Neuromorphics and neuromodulation 52:15 - Barrier to adopting neuromorphics 54:40 - Deep learning influence 58:04 - Beyond energy efficiency 1:02:02 - Deep learning for neuro 1:14:15 - Role of philosophy 1:16:43 - Doing it right