How do we find our way around an unfamiliar city, how do we solve a mathematical problem, and how do we learn a new language? In short: What are the fundamental mechanisms of human thought? Neurobiological research has shown that cells in the brain are active at specific spatial locations and serve, so to speak, as a “navigation system” for the brain. This internal navigation system is said to represent the blueprint for thought processes by devising a kind of cognitive map of our surroundings. Non-invasive imaging methods are being used to experimentally test this hypothesis; they allow us to investigate the basis of neural processes in the human brain. This research is setting out above all to decipher the basic principles of thought; it also has clinical and technological implications that will be discussed in more detail in this lecture. In particular, an understanding of these maps could play a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, as their associated impairments presumably have a major impact on cognitive abilities. This knowledge also opens up opportunities for improving methods of artificial intelligence.

Dialog in the Museum
December 3, 2024
7 p.m.

Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Christian Doeller
Scientific Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, and Vice President of the Max Planck Society.

The video podcast will soon be online.