Julien Posture
Illustrator
From this contributor
This paper changed my life: Dan Goodman on a paper that reignited the field of spiking neural networks
Friedemann Zenke’s 2019 paper, and its related coding tutorial SpyTorch, made it possible to apply modern machine learning to spiking neural networks. The innovation reinvigorated the field.

This paper changed my life: Dan Goodman on a paper that reignited the field of spiking neural networks
This paper changed my life: Abigail Person on birdsong, feed-forward circuits and convergent computations
By isolating specific neuron types involved in zebra finch birdsong, this 2002 Nature paper from Michael Fee and colleagues revealed elegant neural mechanisms controlling the timing of natural learned behavior.
This paper changed my life: Victoria Abraira on a tasty link between circuits and behavior
The findings from Charles Zuker’s lab put the taste system on the map, revealing that some fundamental principles of behavior are hardwired.

This paper changed my life: Victoria Abraira on a tasty link between circuits and behavior
This paper changed my life: Bradley Dickerson on how a 1940s fly neuroanatomy paper influences his research to this day
This classic paper by zoologist John Pringle describes the haltere—a small structure in flies that plays a crucial role in flight control. It taught me to think about circuits and behavior as greater than the sum of their parts.
This paper changed my life: Marino Pagan recalls a decision-making study from four titans in the field
Valerio Mante and David Sussillo, along with their mentors Krishna Shenoy and Bill Newsome, revealed the complexity of neural population dynamics and the power of recurrent neural networks.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Long-read sequencing unearths overlooked autism-linked variants
Strips that are thousands of base pairs in length offer better resolution of structural variants and tandem repeats, according to two independent preprints.

Long-read sequencing unearths overlooked autism-linked variants
Strips that are thousands of base pairs in length offer better resolution of structural variants and tandem repeats, according to two independent preprints.
Autism and anxiety insights; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 15 September.

Autism and anxiety insights; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 15 September.
First nerve-net connectome shows how evolutionarily ancient nervous system coordinates movement
The map of a comb jelly’s aboral nerve net, which helps the animal orient and position itself within the water column, reveals a unique system for sensing the world and coordinating movement.
First nerve-net connectome shows how evolutionarily ancient nervous system coordinates movement
The map of a comb jelly’s aboral nerve net, which helps the animal orient and position itself within the water column, reveals a unique system for sensing the world and coordinating movement.