Research: Language of a Fly Proves Surprising; research may improve neural networks

Language of a Fly Proves Surprising
Los Alamos National Laboratory News (03/10/08) Rickman, James E.

Researchers have developed a way to view the world through the eyes of a fly and partially decode the insect's reactions to changes in the world around it. The research has changed scientists' understanding of neural networks and could provide the basis for intelligent computers that mimic biological processes. The researchers used tiny electrodes to tap into motion-sensitive neurons in the visual system of a blowfly. The fly was harnessed into a turntable-like mechanism that mimicked the kind of flight it might undergo when evading a predator or chasing another fly. The neurons' firing patterns were mapped with a binary code of ones and zeroes. The researchers found that the impulses were like a primitive, but very regular "language," with the neurons firing at precise times depending on what the fly's visual sensors were trying to tell it about its visual stimulus. Previous research showed irregular spikes in the neurons' firing, but this is now believed to be a way to conserve energy when there is little change in the fly's surroundings. The simulated flight creates significant change requiring regular neuron firing to process the information. "This may be one of the main reasons why artificial neural networks do not perform anywhere comparable to a mammalian visual brain," says Los Alamos physicist Ilya Nemenman, a member of the research team. The research could improve the analyses of satellite images and facial-pattern recognition.
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