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The overarching theme this semester is Cell assemblies, functional connectivity, and feedback. Please interpret it broadly. It is intended to include such diverse topics as: cortical microcircuits, the dynamic reconfiguration of neural circuitry, decision making by such circuitry, the interactions between complex circuits and neuromodulatory nuclei (e.g., the basis for specificity in neuromodulatory effects), and the relationship between specific neuromodulators and nominal functions such as "attention" or "arousal"yet to be determined, but our likely first speaker will discuss his own recent work relating to neural representations. Please interpret BCS themes broadly -- they are meant to focus rather than to exclude.
Starting in Fall 2011, BCS will try out a "minimal Powerpoint" policy. In order to make discussions more engaging and less formal, we encourage presentations to be primarily "chalk talks", in which concepts are sketched rather than figures shown. Mixed media are OK too, in which a complex figure can be put onto a slide or simply zoomed up on from the PDF file of the original paper, but drawing the figure tends to convey stronger understanding than does flashing a figure up on the wall. We also emphasize that you do not have to present papers in their entirety, much less multiple papers. Having everybody read up thoroughly on something small and focused usually makes for a better experience than everybody skimming one or more full papers. You may want to present only one exciting concept, exemplified by one or more figures drawn from one or more papers. That's great. Focus on the concepts, and don't feel compelled to master every detail of every paper that you want to include in your presentation. Do what you feel is best, but please do not just put the figures of a paper into a slide show and describe the paper.
That said, presenting your own work is always welcome, and in this case often it will be in Powerpoint format and formally organized. Not a problem.
To add yourself to the BCS-L mailing list, send a plain-text email to bcs-L-request@cornell.edu with the body of the message saying simply join. The subject line doesn't matter. Sending the message leave instead will unsubscribe you from the list. See Cornell's Lyris HowTo page for further details.
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- No readings. Please come prepared to choose a day to present from the many opportunities below.
6 September 2011:
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Rajeev Raizada (tentative)
- TBD
13 September 2011: TBD
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