The scientists are debating six potential experiments. These are big swings that require the purchase of multimillion-dollar microscopy machines and years of work.
The discussion of the experiments brings up biological phenomena as widespread as how rabies spreads in the cortex and the neurobiology of birdsong. They debate whether they should examine molecules and synapses or focus on bigger-scale cells or circuits. Are analyses of connectomes in the mouse brain sufficient for some purposes, or would only human brains do?
“I’m not convinced that it’s going to work," says Berkeley’s Recht, the Flourish adviser, of the company’s main mission. “But if it does, it would be amazing.” AI would never be the same. And a lot of data centers might fall empty.