Brain Inspired BI 222 Nikolay Kukushkin: Minds and Meaning from Nature’s Ideas
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Oct 8, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Nikolay Kukushkin, an associate professor at NYU and senior scientist, delves into his book, *One Hand Clapping*, exploring the essences of nature and cognition. He shares the origins of his doodles as teaching tools that clarify complex ideas. The conversation touches on cellular memory, the evolution of brains, and the philosophical implications of AI as an extension of human thought. Kukushkin provocatively argues that meaning emerges from nature's patterns and urges a reevaluation of how we define memory and consciousness.
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Visa Delay Sparked His Doodles
- Nikolay began illustrating books after being stuck in Russia during a visa delay and doodling to pass time.
- That commission led to illustrating multiple popular science books and adopting doodles in his own book.
Draw To Clarify Complex Ideas
- Draw diagrams and doodles while thinking to clarify the structure of ideas.
- Nikolay uses whiteboard doodles in class because drawing reveals missing parts and improves student retention.
Memory Exists In Every Cell
- Any body cell can form long-lasting changes from short-term patterned inputs, just like neurons do.
- Memory is an abstract process implemented across cell types using the same molecular machinery.