Name: Re-engineering the brain
Uploaded: 2010-11-03T22:44:00Z
Duration: 17 min 17 s
Description: In the quest to map the brain, many scientists have attempted the incredibly daunting task of recording the activity of each neuron. Gero Miesenboeck works backward -- manipulating specific neurons to figure out exactly what they do, through a series of stunning experiments that reengineer the way fruit flies percieve light.

In the quest to map the brain, many scientists have attempted the incredibly daunting task of recording the activity of each neuron. Gero Miesenboeck works backward -- manipulating specific neurons to figure out exactly what they do, through a series of stunning experiments that reengineer the way fruit flies percieve light.

Re-engineering the brain

Mapping the brain by recording every neuron is nearly impossible, but precise interventions can reveal how circuits drive behavior. By engineering fruit flies so a flash of light controls specific brain cells—even making headless flies fly—researchers decode how memory, decision-making, and emotion emerge from patterns of activity. In one experiment, activating just 12 neurons rewired a fly’s choices. This approach offers a new path to understanding intelligence and the biological roots of mind.