The dimension question: how high does it go?

How many cells do neuroscientists need to monitor to get an accurate picture of what the brain is doing?

May 24, 2017 Neural activity of 1,500 neurons recorded via calcium imaging. Credit: Marius Pachitariu Scientists can routinely track the activity of hundreds — sometimes even thousands — of neurons in the brain of awake animals. But how many cells do they need to monitor to truly understand how the brain functions? That question has become a hot topic among researchers doing large-scale neural recordings. The answer could shape the future of the field, influencing how scientists design experiments and new technologies. “The question is whether we can infer something about what the larger netwo

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