Synapses that Compute Motion

How do nerve cells process the information they receive from the environment? Studies of cells in the eye that interpret movement may define a mechanism involved in many other neural operations

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

00

Christof Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute, chief scientist of the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, the former president of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and a former professor at the California Institute of Technology. His latest book is Then I Am Myself the World. Koch writes regularly for a range of media, including Scientific American. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

More by Christof Koch
Scientific American Magazine Vol 256 Issue 5This article was published with the title “Synapses that Compute Motion” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 256 No. 5 (), p. 46
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0587-46

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe