Brain Inspired BI 216 Woodrow Shew and Keith Hengen: The Nature of Brain Criticality
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Jul 16, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Woodrow Shew, a professor at the University of Arkansas, and Keith Hengen, an associate professor at Washington University, dive into the fascinating world of brain criticality. They explore how criticality influences brain function, learning, and adaptability, shedding light on its potential as a homeostatic goal for neural activity. The duo also discusses their collaborative research, challenges of measuring brain activity, and intriguing connections between brain dynamics and behaviors in both humans and simple organisms like E. coli.
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Criticality Balances Flexibility and Stability
- Brains shift away from criticality during highly trained repetitive tasks to simplify activity.
- Near criticality provides flexibility for learning and unpredictable tasks by enabling marginal stability.
Criticality Is a Parameter Volume
- Criticality is not a single point but a large volume in a high-dimensional parameter space.
- This makes criticality robust and accessible for biological systems, contrary to older views that it must be a precise point.
Criticality Facilitates Learning Flexibility
- Criticality supports learning by enabling exploration of many neural connections.
- Returning to near criticality lets the brain adapt flexibly to unpredictable environments.