Short Wave Mapping The Entire Fruit Fly Brain
Oct 7, 2024
Join Jon Hamilton, NPR's science correspondent renowned for his insights into neuroscience, as he reveals the groundbreaking wiring diagram of the adult fruit fly brain. Discover the complexities of its 50 million connections across 140,000 neurons. He discusses the intriguing courtship behaviors of male fruit flies and how this research may impact our understanding of brain connectivity in humans. The conversation also touches on a virtual reality project simulating a fruit fly's brain, exploring the futuristic implications of mind-uploading and cyborg-like possibilities.
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Fly Brain's Importance
- Scientists believe studying the tiny fruit fly brain can reveal insights into how all brains function.
- Researchers have published the first complete wiring diagram, or connectome, of an adult fruit fly's brain.
Flywire: A Breakthrough
- The fruit fly brain wiring diagram, called Flywire, is a major breakthrough in brain science.
- It was published in Nature with nine related papers, highlighting the importance of this connectome.
Fruit Fly Courtship
- Male fruit flies perform courtship rituals, vibrating their wings to sing to females.
- Mala Murthy, a Princeton professor, highlighted these complex behaviors during the Connectome project.