Alex Efremov
@audiodrome.bsky.social
Thinking about thinking and PhD studies @ McGill/Mila
But the lack of respect for science can't be reduced to the uncertainty with which the findings are communicated. I would argue that one of the causes is the opposite - people too often see clickbait titles "Scientists discovered X!!!", dig deeper, get disillusioned, and figure that it's all a con
November 19, 2025 at 2:08 PM
But the lack of respect for science can't be reduced to the uncertainty with which the findings are communicated. I would argue that one of the causes is the opposite - people too often see clickbait titles "Scientists discovered X!!!", dig deeper, get disillusioned, and figure that it's all a con
What made you want to switch?
October 14, 2025 at 11:50 PM
What made you want to switch?
The latter, you just wait for the next debate over how to think about the brain
September 12, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The latter, you just wait for the next debate over how to think about the brain
It seems to me that being vulnerable to anti-science propaganda too often goes hand in hand with not being into sci-fi literature
August 9, 2025 at 3:18 AM
It seems to me that being vulnerable to anti-science propaganda too often goes hand in hand with not being into sci-fi literature
A lot of answers here about the complexity of the brain. I think, the problem is not the complexity itself but our desire to answer complex Qs while the foundation is not there yet. Theory doesn't start with explaining the human brain, it "ends" there (of course, it never really ends)
June 8, 2025 at 4:17 PM
A lot of answers here about the complexity of the brain. I think, the problem is not the complexity itself but our desire to answer complex Qs while the foundation is not there yet. Theory doesn't start with explaining the human brain, it "ends" there (of course, it never really ends)
Alternatively, we can say that now this neural activity represents our perturbations
June 6, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Alternatively, we can say that now this neural activity represents our perturbations
If we change neural activity, there's nothing more in the physical world, that this activity represents. But we can still call it representation, just of something from the platonic world I guess 😅
June 6, 2025 at 2:19 PM
If we change neural activity, there's nothing more in the physical world, that this activity represents. But we can still call it representation, just of something from the platonic world I guess 😅
A particular cell with altered transcriptome, though, probably makes a transition from being a muscle cell to being a skin cell (not sure if altered transcriptome would be enough here, but feels like it)
June 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
A particular cell with altered transcriptome, though, probably makes a transition from being a muscle cell to being a skin cell (not sure if altered transcriptome would be enough here, but feels like it)
But if we somehow change hair cell activity, it doesn't change the sound frequency, no?
June 6, 2025 at 1:47 PM
But if we somehow change hair cell activity, it doesn't change the sound frequency, no?
And because we want to be able to communicate our findings to those who are not computational neuroscientists
June 5, 2025 at 11:08 PM
And because we want to be able to communicate our findings to those who are not computational neuroscientists
I still think it's relative. This calculation doesn't substantiate info. It just sets an upper boundary on the possibly measured info about the observable universe.
May 15, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I still think it's relative. This calculation doesn't substantiate info. It just sets an upper boundary on the possibly measured info about the observable universe.
Isn't the phrase like "generation/creation of info" meaningless from IT perspective? I thought, info can only be measured, and it is a relative term, not a substance
May 15, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Isn't the phrase like "generation/creation of info" meaningless from IT perspective? I thought, info can only be measured, and it is a relative term, not a substance
I wonder what you think about the extent of its usefulness?
May 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I wonder what you think about the extent of its usefulness?
I think many would agree that information theory can be useful in neuro studies, but a lot less would agree that it is THE lens through which we should always regard neural systems. Probably some people think that putting that lens away to take another one is what we lack to make a breakthrough 2/2
May 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I think many would agree that information theory can be useful in neuro studies, but a lot less would agree that it is THE lens through which we should always regard neural systems. Probably some people think that putting that lens away to take another one is what we lack to make a breakthrough 2/2
The way I read this debate is not around the lines of information theoretic approach to the brain being true or not, but of it being useful or not.
I think there was an analogy of a stone thrown into the water, which could be described through information theory, but that'd not be very useful. 1/2
I think there was an analogy of a stone thrown into the water, which could be described through information theory, but that'd not be very useful. 1/2
May 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
The way I read this debate is not around the lines of information theoretic approach to the brain being true or not, but of it being useful or not.
I think there was an analogy of a stone thrown into the water, which could be described through information theory, but that'd not be very useful. 1/2
I think there was an analogy of a stone thrown into the water, which could be described through information theory, but that'd not be very useful. 1/2
Depends on whether other people being able to interpret our papers is a pressing issue for us 😉
April 30, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Depends on whether other people being able to interpret our papers is a pressing issue for us 😉
I'm guilty as well
April 26, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I'm guilty as well
Sure, but what does he need it for?
April 14, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Sure, but what does he need it for?
Why is he still so obsessed with the media then?
April 14, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Why is he still so obsessed with the media then?
I guess one starts with a government
April 13, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I guess one starts with a government
Sure, just call it terrorism and it's illegal
April 10, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Sure, just call it terrorism and it's illegal