American neurophysiologists have developed a new concept to explain the predictive mechanism of events controlled by the cerebral cortex. The corresponding material appeared in the PNAS edition, briefly reported on the website scientificrussia.ru.
The brain, according to the lead author of the study, an employee of the Center for Neurosciences at New York University, David Heeger, builds models for interpreting events, based on both observations of reality and some inferences that exist exclusively in consciousness.
Thus, the brain constantly generates a whole variety of very diverse predictions, both short-term and long-term.
“We have developed a new theory to explain the brain's ability to predict events. This, by the way, is one of the most powerful pillars on which the intelligence of our species rests, says Heeger.
According to him, the new theory combines the already existing developments with an innovative approach based on complex computer modeling. The brain, scientists conclude, makes predictions much like meteorologists predict the weather.
Kolesnikov Andrey