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Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain

Barwich, Ann-Sophie and Firestein, Stuart and Dietrich, Michael R. (2024) Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain. [Preprint]

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Abstract

This paper reevaluates the conventional topographic model of brain function, stressing the critical role of philosophical inquiry in neuroscience. Since the 1940s, pioneering studies by Penfield and subsequent advancements in visual neuroscience by Hubel and Wiesel have popularized the concept of cortical maps as representations of external and internal states. Yet, contemporary research in various sensory systems, including visual cortices in certain animals, questions the universal applicability of this model. We critique the restrictive influence of this paradigm and introduce an alternative conceptualization using the olfactory system as a model. This system's genetic diversity and dynamic neural encoding serve as a foundation for proposing a rule-based, adaptive framework for neural processing, akin to the dynamic routing in GPS technology, which moves beyond fixed spatial mappings.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Barwich, Ann-Sophieabarwich@iu.edu0000-0003-0123-9366
Firestein, Stuartsjf24@columbia.edu
Dietrich, Michael R.MRD98@pitt.edu)
Keywords: topographic paradigm, representational drift; olfaction, sensory coding, genetic transcription, mechanism, morphological computation, pluralism
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology
Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics
Specific Sciences > Complex Systems
Specific Sciences > Neuroscience
Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science > Perception
General Issues > Philosophers of Science
Depositing User: Dr. Ann-Sophie Barwich
Date Deposited: 07 Aug 2024 15:42
Last Modified: 07 Aug 2024 15:42
Item ID: 23777
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology
Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics
Specific Sciences > Complex Systems
Specific Sciences > Neuroscience
Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science > Perception
General Issues > Philosophers of Science
Date: 30 July 2024
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23777

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