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Brain InspiredWhere Neuroscience and AI Converge Author: Paul Middlebrooks
Neuroscience and artificial intelligence work better together. Brain inspired is a celebration and exploration of the ideas driving our progress to understand intelligence. I interview experts about their work at the interface of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, and more: the symbiosis of these overlapping fields, how they inform each other, where they differ, what the past brought us, and what the future brings. Topics include computational neuroscience, supervised machine learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, deep learning, convolutional and recurrent neural networks, decision-making science, AI agents, backpropagation, credit assignment, neuroengineering, neuromorphics, emergence, philosophy of mind, consciousness, general AI, spiking neural networks, data science, and a lot more. The podcast is not produced for a general audience. Instead, it aims to educate, challenge, inspire, and hopefully entertain those interested in learning more about neuroscience and AI. Language: en-us Genres: Natural Sciences, Science, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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BI 249 Michael Cole: Brain Flows are the Units of Cognition
Wednesday, 4 November, 2026
Support the show to get full episodes, full archive, and join the Discord community. The Transmitter is an online publication that aims to deliver useful information, insights and tools to build bridges across neuroscience and advance research. Visit thetransmitter.org to explore the latest neuroscience news and perspectives, written by journalists and scientists. Read more about our partnership. Sign up for Brain Inspired email alerts to be notified every time a new Brain Inspired episode is released. To explore more neuroscience news and perspectives, visit thetransmitter.org. Michael Cole is a professor at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University. After 10 years running The Cole Neurocognition Lab, and reflecting on the work they've done and the field more broadly, he decided to write a book: Brain Flows: How Network Dynamics Compose the Human Mind. In the book, Michael argues that brain flows are the fundamental units of brain function and therefore cognition. We discuss what a brain flow is and is not, and how viewing cognition through the brain flow lens differs from other approaches, like viewing populations of neuron activity as fundamental units of cognition. In fact, Michael has found that most of the signal processing going on is between areas of networks, not within the areas of the networks. The first part of the discussion covers those kinds of basics, then we move on to discuss how different organizational features of brain flows, like compositional hierarchies, might explain "higher" cognitive functions like value-based goals, emotion, creativity, consciousness, intelligence, and mental disorders. The Cole Neurocognition Lab Twitter: @mwcole.bsky.social; @TheColeLab Book: Brain Flows: How Network Dynamics Compose the Human Mind 0:00 - Intro 4:43 - Brain Flows 15:09 - Flow as a fundamental unit 16:45 - Functional connectivity 20:24 - Backstory 24:31 - Activity flow modeling 37:30 - Generative understanding 44:12 - Hierarchical compositionality 48:09 - Novelty 50:50 - Cognitive control 56:38 - Creativity 1:14:06 - Mental health and flows 1:21:51 - Consciousness and flow fields 1:31:12 - AI and brain flows
