March 25, 2026
Dynamical systems models in neuroscience: Are they explanatory? Are they mechanistic? with William Newsome, PhD
In this seminar...
"I will review recent uses of dynamical systems models to analyze and interpret neural population dynamics in monkey cerebral cortex. Viewed through the lens of dynamical systems theory (DST), the activity of single neurons are but noisy reflections of underlying latent variables that define and govern the collective activity of the neural population. By focusing on the collective level, DST analyses are bringing remarkable clarity and intelligibility to single neuron data sets that are otherwise deeply puzzling. These results raise contentious issues among neuroscientists and philosophers of neuroscience. Are DST models explanatory, or merely descriptive? If explanatory, do they provide mechanistic insight? I will review both sides of the argument."
"I will review recent uses of dynamical systems models to analyze and interpret neural population dynamics in monkey cerebral cortex. Viewed through the lens of dynamical systems theory (DST), the activity of single neurons are but noisy reflections of underlying latent variables that define and govern the collective activity of the neural population. By focusing on the collective level, DST analyses are bringing remarkable clarity and intelligibility to single neuron data sets that are otherwise deeply puzzling. These results raise contentious issues among neuroscientists and philosophers of neuroscience. Are DST models explanatory, or merely descriptive? If explanatory, do they provide mechanistic insight? I will review both sides of the argument."