Meet The Neuroscientist Who Mapped 750 Million Years of Brain Evolution

About the conversation

Dr. Paul Cisek is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Montreal, and focuses on understanding how the brain controls behaviour. Particularly through the lens of motor control and decision-making. His interdisciplinary approach combines neurophysiological recordings, computational modelling, and evolutionary biology to explore how the brain mediates interactions with the world. This type of knowledge makes for an incredibly interesting conversation! Timestamps: 00:00 The Evolutionary Lens on Neuroscience 06:56 Understanding the Brain as a Control System 13:14 The Historical Context of Nervous System Development 20:30 Key Evolutionary Transitions in Brain Development 31:00 The Role of Reinforcement Learning in Evolution 45:52 Evolutionary Leaps: From Water to Land 54:41 Consciousness and Its Emergence 01:03:47 The Complexity of Brain Function and Evolution 01:24:29 Debunking Myths: Understanding Evolution's Nature 01:26:43 Engineering vs. Evolutionary Solutions 01:28:36 AI Models and Evolutionary Insights 01:35:09 The Grounding Problem in AI 01:42:52 The Role of Motion in AGI 01:54:55 Future of AI: Optimism vs. Pessimism Donate to my Paypal. You're Supporting Bootstrapped Science Communication! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTG Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249