Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Neural Circuits

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...

Neural Regulation

Neural Regulation

Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.

Neuronal Communication

Neuronal Communication

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....

Neurons as Communicators of the Brain

Neurons as Communicators of the Brain

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, function as the primary transmitters of information throughout the body. Their ability to communicate through electrical and chemical signals is vital for every bodily function, from regulating the heartbeat to processing complex thoughts. Each neuron has three main components: the cell body (soma), dendrites, and an axon, each specialized to facilitate swift and efficient neural communication.
Cell Body
The cell body, also known...

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Learning to Live with Strange Error: Beyond Trustworthiness in Artificial Intelligence Ethics.

Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics : CQ : the international journal of healthcare ethics committees·2023

Same author

Mending wall.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2019

Same journal

The cognitive foundations of children's culture.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Let the kids play: Children's folklore, Newell's paradox, and the triviality barrier.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Variable cultural acquisition costs may explain contextual variation in peer cultures.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

What's special about peer cultures? The opportunity for disagreement.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

The adaptive role of peer culture is shaped by risk landscapes.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Hidden cultures: How parental control shapes children's cultural adaptation in East Asian societies.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Closed-loop Neuro-robotic Experiments to Test Computational Properties of Neuronal Networks

Closed-loop Neuro-robotic Experiments to Test Computational Properties of Neuronal Networks

Published on: March 2, 2015

Modest and immodest neural codes: Can there be modest codes?

Rosa Cao¹, Charles Rathkopf²

¹Department of Philosophy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305rosacao@stanford.eduhttps://philosophy.stanford.edu/people/rosa-cao.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences

|November 29, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Neuroscientists may overstate neural codes. Modest neural codes, learned by neurons, may be valid but offer limited explanatory power.

More Related Videos

Decoding Natural Behavior from Neuroethological Embedding

Decoding Natural Behavior from Neuroethological Embedding

Published on: October 3, 2025

Simultaneous Scalp Electroencephalography EEG, Electromyography EMG, and Whole-body Segmental Inertial Recording for Multi-modal Neural Decoding

Simultaneous Scalp Electroencephalography EEG, Electromyography EMG, and Whole-body Segmental Inertial Recording for Multi-modal Neural Decoding

Published on: July 26, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Closed-loop Neuro-robotic Experiments to Test Computational Properties of Neuronal Networks

Closed-loop Neuro-robotic Experiments to Test Computational Properties of Neuronal Networks

Published on: March 2, 2015

Decoding Natural Behavior from Neuroethological Embedding

Decoding Natural Behavior from Neuroethological Embedding

Published on: October 3, 2025

Simultaneous Scalp Electroencephalography EEG, Electromyography EMG, and Whole-body Segmental Inertial Recording for Multi-modal Neural Decoding

Simultaneous Scalp Electroencephalography EEG, Electromyography EMG, and Whole-body Segmental Inertial Recording for Multi-modal Neural Decoding

Published on: July 26, 2013

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Philosophy of Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

Brette's arguments challenge the interpretation of neural codes.
Neuroscientists often impute 'immodest' codes to neural signals.
The nature of neural coding is a fundamental question in neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the scope and limitations of Brette's arguments regarding neural codes.
To distinguish between 'immodest' and 'modest' neural codes.
To assess the potential explanatory gains from modest neural codes.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of Brette's arguments.
Distinction between different types of neural coding schemes.
Evaluation of the implications for neuroscientific research.

Main Results:

Brette's arguments effectively critique immodest neural codes but not modest ones.
Modest neural codes, potentially learned by neurons, remain a possibility.
The explanatory power derived from modest neural codes is likely limited.

Conclusions:

The debate on neural codes requires careful consideration of coding assumptions.
Modest neural codes offer a more plausible framework but with restricted scientific utility.
Future research should focus on the learning mechanisms and explanatory limits of neural codes.