I spend a lot of time going over old conversation summaries. A lot of the old ones are about ideas that ended in failure, the project didn't work. But hey, you know what? That was five years ago, and now computers are faster, or some new information has come along, the world is different. So we're able to reboot the project.
Edward BoydenWe don't have a "consciousness meter" that'll tell us exactly how conscious something is. I think we might get there eventually.
Edward BoydenI often try to think about, What sounds like a bad idea, but if you find the right plan of attack, it's actually a really good idea? I spend a lot of time really trying to systematically tackle problems from different angles.
Edward BoydenI spend a lot of time going over old conversation summaries. A lot of the old ones are about ideas that ended in failure, the project didn't work. But hey, you know what? That was five years ago, and now computers are faster, or some new information has come along, the world is different. So we're able to reboot the project.
Edward BoydenRemember, when we're conscious of something, that state is quite often generated by unconscious processes that happen right before it.
Edward BoydenThe skill-providers want to have more impact and solve problems; the problem people want new tools to get their problems solved.
Edward BoydenFor the last century of neuroscience, lots of people have tried to control neurons using all sorts of different technologies - pharmacology (drugs), electrical pulses, and so on. But none of these technologies are precise. With optogenetics, we can aim light at a single cell, or a set of cells, and turn just that set of cells on or off.
Edward Boyden