Gyorgy Buzsaki

https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/book-review-rhythms-of-the-brain Brain waves have always felt like a mystery. You learn some psychology, some neuroscience, a bit of neuroanatomy. And then totally separate from all of this, you know that there are things called “brain waves” that get measured with an EEG. Why should the brain have waves? Are they involved in thinking or feeling or something? How do you do computation when your processors are firing in a rhythmic pattern dozens of times per second? Why don’t AIs have anything like brain waves? Should they? I read Rhythms Of The Brain by Prof. Gyorgy Buzsaki to answer these questions. This is a tough book, probably more aimed at neuroscientists than laypeople, and I don’t claim to have gotten more than the most superficial understanding of it. But as far as I know it’s the only book on brain waves - and so our only option for solving the mystery. This review is my weak and confused attempt to transmit it, which I hope will encourage other people toward more successful efforts.

Neuroscience professor Gyorgy Buzsaki discusses brain rhythms, neural syntax, and the emergence of cognition from action. He explores the synaptic basis of theta and gamma rhythms, the role of oscillations in brain communication, and the influence of sub-cortical inputs and neuromodulators on memory formation. Buzsaki also delves into the role of serotonin in REM sleep, the evolutionary perspective on brain mechanisms, and the impact of skipping breakfast on productivity and learning.