A rather unusual action occurred in the world of science. Two physicists used analyzes from statistical physics to explain the complexity of the human brain. In this way, a unique 3D map of one of the most important human organs was created.
It has been discovered that the structural branches of neurons are arranged in fractal patterns Similar patterns appear in snowflakes and particles. In physics, the so-called fractal dimension is the “critical exponent” that lies on the edge of chaos, between order and chaos. Scientists now believe that the recorded presence of nanofractals in 3D brain reconstructions is a sign of this “crucial importance.”
The researchers emphasize that due to restrictions on access to data, only part of the human brain was analysed. Meanwhile, analyzes were performed on the brains of mice and fruit flies.
It turns out that neuronal connections are arranged in the same way on a large scale and on a small scale Regardless of the type of creatures. As Helen Ansell of Northwestern University in the USA says: – At first, these structures look very different – the entire fly brain is almost the size of a small human neuron. But then we found new properties that are surprisingly similar.
“We identify aspects of this complexity and provide evidence for it,” the researchers wrote in their paper Brain anatomy is governed by universal laws of measurementEstablishing the concept of structural criticality in the cellular structure of the brain.
– [Poziom strukturalny – red.] It was the missing ingredient in our thinking Brain complexity. Unlike a computer, where any program can run on the same hardware, the dynamics of the brain and the hardware are strongly interconnected, adds Istvan Kovacs of Northwestern University.
Research reveals this The structure of neurons is “on the verge of chaos”, thanks to which connections obtain almost perfect information transmission properties. If the structure of neurons were “standardly arranged,” there would be many redundant connections. Experts believe that the presence of fractal patterns in the brain eliminates “unnecessary and excessive wiring.”
Scientists believe their research represents a breakthrough and opens the way to creating a simple physical model that can describe statistical patterns of the human brain. In the future, research of this kind may lead to the development of new research methods as well Developing new tools to train artificial intelligence systems.
The research results were published in the prestigious international scientific journal Communications Physics.
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