iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 09/09/2026

If you thought "everything is everywhere" in the brain: inactivations reveal a clear distinction of labor. Sensory areas sense, colliculus promotes eligible actions (!), and prefrontal cortex integrates. The role of superior colliculus in a logistic decision www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 31/07/2026

The apical dendrite looks great, and does wonders in a slice. What does it do in the living cortex? It depends on the cell. A causal spatial role for apical dendrites in the cortex www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... by @anyiliu.bsky.social with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social and @fedrossi.bsky.social

A cartoon providing a graphical summary of the paper. It is divided in 3 rows.

The top row shows a pyramidal cell and its apical tuft, and shows the two experiments that we ran: optical dendritic pruning (chopping off the apical tuft), and synaptic imaging done in the same neurons where we do somatic imaging.

The middle row shows the results pertaining to neurons that prefer large stimuli (this is visual cortex): pruning reduced their responses, and the receptive fields of apical synapses are far away from the that of the soma.

The bottom row shows the results pertaining to neurons that prefer small stimuli: pruning seemed to do nothing to the responses, and the receptive field of apical synapses are right around that of the soma.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 14/07/2026

Very nice response by the UK's @royalsociety.org to the proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance in the US. And the style of the first paragraph rings a bell...

THE ROYAL SOCIETY

Dear Professor Carandini

For your information, please see a response, submitted by Royal Society, to the consultation by the US Office of Management and Budget regarding the proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that: science flourishes when based on reliable evidence and rigorous testing. It is tested through experiments, observation, challenge, reasoning and open enquiry. It depends on the freedom of researchers to question established thinking and to evaluate ideas on their scientific merit.

Science is strengthened by international collaboration. The exchange of people, ideas, data and expertise across borders has driven many of humanity’s greatest advances. They remain essential to tackling shared global challenges.

Science depends on trust. Trust that is earned through integrity, transparency, rigorous peer review and the independence of scientific enquiry. Governments determine both high level national priorities as well as levels of investment, doing so by respecting established scientific knowledge. Scientific conclusions must continue to be guided by evidence rather than political or ideological preference.

Science builds bridges between nations. Throughout history, even during periods of geopolitical tension, it has been one of the most powerful examples of constructive international cooperation.

These truths have served science and society remarkably well for generations. The Royal Society is deeply concerned by any actions, wherever they occur, that risk weakening them. Nations and their people will prosper only if these truths are respected, supported and protected.

Sir Paul Nurse FRS
Royal Society President, and Council

The Royal Society
The UK National Academy of Science since 1660

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 10/06/2026

Losing one side of Superior Colliculus is bad, but losing both sides seems fine. Wait, what? Flora & team discovered why: both sides press for contra actions and against inaction, obeying an incredibly simple additive rule. Out today in bioRxiv: www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

A diagram showing a sequence of linear operations, with visual signals from visual cortex added to auditory signals from auditory cortex. Prefrontal cortex sums these signals and superior colliculus provides a constant, stimulus-independent factor pushing for each eligible action. The final decision is taken via softmax.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 01/06/2026

Neuropixels + Optogenetics = Neuropixels Opto Combining high-resolution electrophysiology and optogenetics. 960 sites, 28 emitters, 2 colors. Today in @natmethods.nature.com doi.org/10.1038/s415... Thanks to @wellcometrust.bsky.social, @alleninstitute.org, @hhmijanelia.bsky.social & team.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 28/03/2026

Fascinating analysis from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com in today's @financialtimes.com Social media is populist and polarising; AI may be the opposite www.ft.com/content/3880... (Paywalled)

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 15/03/2026

Two articles today with opposite takes (on the @theguardian.com and the @financialtimes.com ). But both show a photo of UCL! A highly photogenic university. (PS I prefer the "UK ready" take)

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 11/02/2026

Actually the view from my office just got more interesting, as the official celebrations of the 200th anniversary now include a pirate projection saying "Free Palestine". Regardless of opinions, may UCL enjoy 200 more years of freedom of speech.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 11/02/2026

UCL looking gorgeous today, 200 years after its opening. Its design was inspired by Thomas Jefferson's plans for the University of Virginia (which in turn had been inspired by a Roman temple in Nimes, France). UCL's values very much echo those of the Enlightenment. May they long continue to do so.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 24/12/2025

I found this article really interesting. Especially the list of criteria [apologies, occasionally I stray from neuroscience]

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 22/12/2025

Sequences are everywhere! In every brain region. And are written in stone. Invariant Activity Sequences Across the Mouse Brain. Out today, by Célian Bimbard, with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social. Based on data by Célian and by @intlbrainlab.bsky.social. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Examples of sequences of activity seen in multiple regions of the brain

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 10/12/2025

Also interesting to see the results per million inhabitants. Estonia has a lot going for such a small country! The most "brain gain" is in Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden (the last two are superimposed). The most "brain drain" is in Croatia (HR). Germany & France neither gain nor drain.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 10/12/2025

The European Research Council (@erc.europa.eu) has released the results for this year's Consolidator Grants, and yet again the UK, Germany, and Netherlands receive most of the grants. Interestingly, they contribute fewer awardees. Italy instead stands out for the opposite. (1/2)

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 12/11/2025

Our lab is looking for a postdoc! We have interesting projects and cutting-edge techniques such as Neuropixels Opto, Light Beads Microscopy and more. We would be delighted to receive your application. Deadline is 25 November 2025. More info here: www.ucl.ac.uk/cortexlab/po...

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 01/11/2025

This paper seems really interesting. I also love their author ordering policy

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 24/07/2025

Introducing our new favorite stimulus. A few minutes are enough to map the visual preferences of thousands of neurons. Mapping the visual cortex with Zebra noise and wavelets www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... By Sophie Skriabine and Max Shinn, with Samuel Picard and @kenneth-harris.bsky.social

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 20/07/2025

US students are increasingly applying to UK unis. They are at 6%, and rapidly growing. Makes sense: it costs less, lasts 3 years (typically), does not infantilize (re drinks). And no kidnapping by masked thugs (yet). However, courses focus on a single discipline. Link (paywall): on.ft.com/4nYb1Ry

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 18/07/2025

A new study led by @timothysit.bsky.social reveals that different layers of mouse V1 integrate visual and non-visual signals differently. Activity is dominated by vision (or spontaneous fluctuations) in L2/3 and by movement in L5. This leads to different geometries. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 07/07/2025

New by Agnès Landemard (@agnesland.bsky.social‬) & co Brainwide blood volume reflects opposing neural populations Brainwide fluctuations in blood volume arise from two populations with opposite relation to brain state and distinct relationships to blood supply www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 18/06/2025

After years of absence, the UK is back and going strong

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 14/04/2025

Very happy to give a talk at Harvard tomorrow!

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 01/04/2025

Many of us use 2p scopes to image 3D volumes of brain. But then we analyze the data plane by plane, resulting in duplicated neurons, missed neurons, and low s/n. Let's go 3D! Suite3D: Volumetric cell detection for two-photon microscopy by @haydari.bsky.social & team. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 10/02/2025

I just gave a lecture on "Higher visual cortex" to undergrads and I covered the 5 topics below. Now I need to suggest readings. Arghh. All I have is for grad students or beyond! Any suggestions for an undergrad textbook? I loved "From Neuron to Brain" and "Neurons and Networks" but they're old.

The five points I covered in the lecture:
Visual areas as maps of the visual field
Ventral and dorsal pathways
Receptive fields and filtering across areas
How visual areas might work together
The visual cortex as a deep neural network?

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 07/02/2025

And that first GIF was supposed to be animated! Here we go.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 07/02/2025

A team effort made possible by @wellcometrust.bsky.social, @alleninstitute.bsky.social, @hhmijanelia.bsky.social, and other funders and partners including IMEC, the NIH BRAIN initiative, NTNU, Johns Hopkins University, University of Washington and @uclbrainscience.bsky.social (2/2)

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 07/02/2025

Hmm those GIFs are not animating. Let's try again:

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 07/02/2025

Neuropixels and Optogenetics are delighted to announce the birth of Neuropixels Opto Combining high-resolution electrophysiology and optogenetics Today in bioRxiv 960 sites, 28 emitters, 2 colors By Lakunina, @karolinazsocha.bsky.social, Ladd, et al www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/2)

A Neuropixels Opto probe with 3 blue emitters and 3 red emitters lighting up in succession, with corresponding neural activity in different layers of the cortex.

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 02/02/2025

It's finally out! Visual experience orthogonalizes visual cortical responses Training in a visual task changes V1 tuning curves in odd ways. This effect is explained by a simple convex transformation. It orthogonalizes the population, making it easier to decode. 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115235

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 11/01/2025

I wish my analyses of brain activity were as neat as those made by @jburnmurdoch.bsky.social for socioeconomic processes. Check out this spectacular correlation in today's @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/4fWosfH

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 11/12/2024

Thanks for the suggestion! I tried it and it's kind of ok but it only gets me the data for even years, and ignores the odd years. And I am pretty sure it reads out the numbers that are written out rather than interpreting the graphics...

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Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 24/11/2024

@richardsever.bsky.social while you're at it, consider losing the rectangles around those symbols? They carry no information and act as a strong visual mask. (If Tufte was on this social media he'd agree.)

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