13th Annual Lecture
Sense from Chaos: Controlling the Dynamic Networks of the Brain

Stony Brook University and The Swartz Foundation are proud to present
an exploration into the far reaches of the human mind with:

Larry F. Abbott, Ph.D.
Professor and Co-director
Center for Theoretical Neuroscience
Columbia University

Monday, May 11, 2009, 4:30 p.m.

Can a state of chaos actually be a good thing for the human mind? Activity recorded from neurons in the brain often looks random or chaotic. How do we make sense of the world and produce precisely controlled responses when so much of the activity in our brains is chaotic? Professor Larry Abbott will show how brain circuits can switch between chaotic and well-controlled patterns of activity, illustrating these points with computer demonstrations of network models. He will also discuss how chaos may be essential for a healthy brain and demonstrate what goes wrong when activity is insufficiently chaotic.

Staller Center for the Arts, Main Stage
Stony Brook University
A reception will follow the lecture on the 2nd floor of the Art Gallery.

Mind Brain on the Web
Click here to view this lecture live on May 11 >>

FREE PRESENTATION • INTENDED FOR A GENERAL AUDIENCE