Earl K. Miller
@earlkmiller.bsky.social
Picower Professor of Neuroscience @ MIT
Cognitive neuroscience, executive brain functions, consciousness, and bass guitar. You know, the good stuff.
ekmillerlab.mit.edu
Co-founder, Neuroblox
https://www.neuroblox.ai/
Cognitive neuroscience, executive brain functions, consciousness, and bass guitar. You know, the good stuff.
ekmillerlab.mit.edu
Co-founder, Neuroblox
https://www.neuroblox.ai/
Here's another cool paper showing how oscillations can do things:
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Running speed and REM sleep control two distinct modes of rapid interhemispheric communication
Gamma-rhythmic communication within and across cortical hemispheres is critical for
optimal perception, navigation, and memory. Here, Ghosh et al. identify even faster
∼140 Hz rhythms, named splines, ...
www.cell.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Here's another cool paper showing how oscillations can do things:
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Distinct roles of prefrontal subregion feedback to the primary visual cortex across behavioral states
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
#neuroscience
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
#neuroscience
Distinct roles of prefrontal subregion feedback to the primary visual cortex across behavioral states
Ährlund-Richter et al. show that in mice, discrete subregions of the prefrontal cortex
send distinct feedback signals to the primary visual cortex. These pathways differentially
modulate visual proces...
www.cell.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Distinct roles of prefrontal subregion feedback to the primary visual cortex across behavioral states
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
#neuroscience
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
#neuroscience
And by the way, expecting one or two papers to stand in for an entire body of work because you don’t want to do a proper literature search doesn’t sound like “rigor” to me.
November 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
And by the way, expecting one or two papers to stand in for an entire body of work because you don’t want to do a proper literature search doesn’t sound like “rigor” to me.
Nonsense. @argalloni.bsky.social claimed ephaptic effects are “weak” without any evidence. Wow, Konrad. you say you value rigor, yet you’re fine with someone making an unsupported claim without doing the homework. That doesn’t sound like rigor to me.
November 25, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Nonsense. @argalloni.bsky.social claimed ephaptic effects are “weak” without any evidence. Wow, Konrad. you say you value rigor, yet you’re fine with someone making an unsupported claim without doing the homework. That doesn’t sound like rigor to me.
I think you can handle a literature search without my help. You claimed ephaptic effects are “weak.” On what basis? From your question, it doesn’t seem grounded in familiarity with the literature.
November 25, 2025 at 2:08 PM
I think you can handle a literature search without my help. You claimed ephaptic effects are “weak.” On what basis? From your question, it doesn’t seem grounded in familiarity with the literature.
It's only controversial if you not aware of a large body of work showing *strong* ephaptic effects all over the brain. I suggest doing a Google Scholar search on the topic
November 25, 2025 at 1:44 PM
It's only controversial if you not aware of a large body of work showing *strong* ephaptic effects all over the brain. I suggest doing a Google Scholar search on the topic
Let me also add that the so-called “weak effects” of electric fields were first measured from the scalp over a century ago using crude equipment. That doesn’t sound weak to me.
November 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Let me also add that the so-called “weak effects” of electric fields were first measured from the scalp over a century ago using crude equipment. That doesn’t sound weak to me.
The oscillations part is true. But no, ephaptic effects are not weak. LFP effects are weak in single neurons but brains are not single neurons. But so-called "weak effects* multiply quickly and become quite powerful in a complex interactive system. A Google Scholar search will show you that.
November 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The oscillations part is true. But no, ephaptic effects are not weak. LFP effects are weak in single neurons but brains are not single neurons. But so-called "weak effects* multiply quickly and become quite powerful in a complex interactive system. A Google Scholar search will show you that.
There are many more papers on oscillations. Glad I could help you find some and get you started. Just search on Google Scholar
November 25, 2025 at 12:57 PM
There are many more papers on oscillations. Glad I could help you find some and get you started. Just search on Google Scholar
Some review papers on the role of oscillations:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1016/j.pn...
doi.org/10.1016/S003...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29563572/
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1016/j.pn...
doi.org/10.1016/S003...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29563572/
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Redirecting
doi.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Theories and models of oscillations. Start here:
Gyorgy Buzsaki
Michael Arbib
Nancy Kopell
Stephanie Jones
Brad Voytek
Terry Sejnowski
Mike Hasselmo
Leslie Kay
Donald Hebb and Walter Freeman both wrote about ephaptic coupling and oscillations
Gyorgy Buzsaki
Michael Arbib
Nancy Kopell
Stephanie Jones
Brad Voytek
Terry Sejnowski
Mike Hasselmo
Leslie Kay
Donald Hebb and Walter Freeman both wrote about ephaptic coupling and oscillations
doi.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Theories and models of oscillations. Start here:
Gyorgy Buzsaki
Michael Arbib
Nancy Kopell
Stephanie Jones
Brad Voytek
Terry Sejnowski
Mike Hasselmo
Leslie Kay
Donald Hebb and Walter Freeman both wrote about ephaptic coupling and oscillations
Gyorgy Buzsaki
Michael Arbib
Nancy Kopell
Stephanie Jones
Brad Voytek
Terry Sejnowski
Mike Hasselmo
Leslie Kay
Donald Hebb and Walter Freeman both wrote about ephaptic coupling and oscillations
When people have a higher bar of evidence for one paradigm than the other, that is paradigm-defending.
November 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
When people have a higher bar of evidence for one paradigm than the other, that is paradigm-defending.
Yes, of course models are important. But the stamps don't disappear because you don't have a model yet. But this is a non-issue. We have models and theory about oscillations. Perhaps you haven't seen them.
November 25, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Yes, of course models are important. But the stamps don't disappear because you don't have a model yet. But this is a non-issue. We have models and theory about oscillations. Perhaps you haven't seen them.
Models are important. The origin of our theory was a computational model of WM. Models can inspire new hypotheses but observations don't disappear just because we don't understand them yet. BTW, there are theories and models of oscillations. Check out Kopell
"Not even close" is a safe bet.
"Not even close" is a safe bet.
November 25, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Models are important. The origin of our theory was a computational model of WM. Models can inspire new hypotheses but observations don't disappear just because we don't understand them yet. BTW, there are theories and models of oscillations. Check out Kopell
"Not even close" is a safe bet.
"Not even close" is a safe bet.
You could say everything you just said but flipping "oscillations" and "spikes" and that statement would be equally true. There is a lot of empirical evidence for both and it is the same type of evidence. Spikes aren't the gold standard simply because they were our first peak through the keyhole
November 25, 2025 at 12:42 AM
You could say everything you just said but flipping "oscillations" and "spikes" and that statement would be equally true. There is a lot of empirical evidence for both and it is the same type of evidence. Spikes aren't the gold standard simply because they were our first peak through the keyhole
As a scientist, I build on the past, not defend it. No one doubts that spikes matter, but it’s now clear they’re only part of the story. We’re just beginning to recognize that astrocytes, half the cells in the brain, contribute to computation. They spread electrical influences, yet *don’t spike*.
November 25, 2025 at 12:11 AM
As a scientist, I build on the past, not defend it. No one doubts that spikes matter, but it’s now clear they’re only part of the story. We’re just beginning to recognize that astrocytes, half the cells in the brain, contribute to computation. They spread electrical influences, yet *don’t spike*.
Working on oscillations has been building and evidence has been accumulating for since the turn of the century. Anyone saying they are not functional is basically ignoring a large body of work. We are about 15-20 years past "jumping to conclusions". It is now just defending the old paradigm.
November 25, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Working on oscillations has been building and evidence has been accumulating for since the turn of the century. Anyone saying they are not functional is basically ignoring a large body of work. We are about 15-20 years past "jumping to conclusions". It is now just defending the old paradigm.
That's the way paradigm shifts work. A paradigm starts by explaining data. Then, as experiments evolve, there is data that the paradigm can't explain, there field shifts. But some always defend the old paradigm by claiming the observations are irrelevant (with little resson). Kuhn got it right.
November 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
That's the way paradigm shifts work. A paradigm starts by explaining data. Then, as experiments evolve, there is data that the paradigm can't explain, there field shifts. But some always defend the old paradigm by claiming the observations are irrelevant (with little resson). Kuhn got it right.
I agree. Theory needs to catch up to data. If a theory can't explain an obvious signal in the brain that correlates with function. The problem is theory, not the data. If we dismiss evidence from data due to lack of theory, we'll never have new theories
November 24, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I agree. Theory needs to catch up to data. If a theory can't explain an obvious signal in the brain that correlates with function. The problem is theory, not the data. If we dismiss evidence from data due to lack of theory, we'll never have new theories
I agree that theory needs to catch up to empirical data. Empirical data typically leads theory. And there is a a lot of empirical results. Here's a theory:
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
and here's evidence for it:
doi.org/10.1101/2025... (in press)
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
and here's evidence for it:
doi.org/10.1101/2025... (in press)
Working memory control dynamics follow principles of spatial computing - Nature Communications
It is unclear how cognitive computations are performed on sensory information. Here, neural evidence from working memory tasks suggests that the physical dimensions of cortical networks are used to up...
doi.org
November 24, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I agree that theory needs to catch up to empirical data. Empirical data typically leads theory. And there is a a lot of empirical results. Here's a theory:
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
and here's evidence for it:
doi.org/10.1101/2025... (in press)
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
and here's evidence for it:
doi.org/10.1101/2025... (in press)
What about coherence between hippocampus and cortex?
doi.org/10.1038/nn.3...
There is also this review of work showing cross-area coordination by traveling waves.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
doi.org/10.1038/nn.3...
There is also this review of work showing cross-area coordination by traveling waves.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Frequency-specific hippocampal-prefrontal interactions during associative learning - Nature Neuroscience
Learning of arbitrary associations depends on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This learning is reflected in prefrontal cortex. The hippocampus instead provides feedback about whether trial-and-...
doi.org
November 24, 2025 at 9:33 PM
What about coherence between hippocampus and cortex?
doi.org/10.1038/nn.3...
There is also this review of work showing cross-area coordination by traveling waves.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
doi.org/10.1038/nn.3...
There is also this review of work showing cross-area coordination by traveling waves.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
How about these examples of cross-cortex coordination?
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Cortical travelling waves: mechanisms and computational principles
Multichannel recording technologies have revealed travelling waves of neural activity in multiple sensory, motor and cognitive systems. These waves can be spontaneously generated by recurrent circuits or evoked by external stimuli. They travel along ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 24, 2025 at 9:27 PM
How about these examples of cross-cortex coordination?
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
1. Just because oscillations don’t operate everywhere doesn’t mean they operate nowhere.
2. If you’re claiming spikes aren’t always important, see point #1.
3. If oscillations don't help coordinate activity across cortical areas, you need to explain why we observe such cross-area coordination.
2. If you’re claiming spikes aren’t always important, see point #1.
3. If oscillations don't help coordinate activity across cortical areas, you need to explain why we observe such cross-area coordination.
November 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
1. Just because oscillations don’t operate everywhere doesn’t mean they operate nowhere.
2. If you’re claiming spikes aren’t always important, see point #1.
3. If oscillations don't help coordinate activity across cortical areas, you need to explain why we observe such cross-area coordination.
2. If you’re claiming spikes aren’t always important, see point #1.
3. If oscillations don't help coordinate activity across cortical areas, you need to explain why we observe such cross-area coordination.
None of that means that oscillations are not functional or important. It just means that people have been studying spikes longer. In any case, what I see is overwhelming evidence that they are functional.
November 24, 2025 at 9:14 PM
None of that means that oscillations are not functional or important. It just means that people have been studying spikes longer. In any case, what I see is overwhelming evidence that they are functional.
If you let your models oscillate, they will and they will do good things.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:51 PM
If you let your models oscillate, they will and they will do good things.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...