Cooperation!

May 22nd, 2021| Topic: RaMbLeS | 1

Scientists from Northwestern University reported recently on a wireless, light-activated neural implant, allowing them to trigger a mouse’s brain activity from afar. So the mice can actually roam around with their neurons monitored and influenced, without being tethered to heavy-duty equipment. “Wireless Multilateral Devices for Optogenetic Studies of Individual and Social Behaviors” was published in Nature Neuroscience.

The equipment was groundbreaking and kinda interesting, but what they examined was even more so.

There is now a new trend in biology—”two-person neuroscience” wherein, rather than study just one brain, scientists study brains of two interacting persons.

It had already been demonstrated in the past that between person engaged in cooperative actions, there was increased synchronized brain activity in parts of the brain. For instance, between pilots and co-pilots during takeoff and landing of aircraft; as well between romantic couples as opposed to between strangers; and between parents and children. In fact, even the rhythms of brainwaves between two people taking part in a conversation begin to match each other. Within teams of workers, inter-brain synchrony can actually predict cooperative performance.

All that to say, it seems that brain-to-brain synchrony results in behavioral synchrony. Apparently, brains are hardwired to cooperate, a perspective that perceives the human brain as rooted in social action and in the ebb-and-flow of daily social life. Well, who knew?

But how this works is anyone’s guess. Speculation includes the activity of mirror neurons that reflect, in one brain, the activity of another. We don’t know much about that, either.

Anyway, these Northwestern University researchers asked if they could do this in reverse. By artificially synchronizing two discrete mouse brains could they get those two animals to cooperate?

Study coauthor and Northwestern neurobiologist, Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy confessed in a press release:

We didn’t actually think this would work. To our knowledge, this is the first direct evaluation of a major long-standing hypothesis about neural synchrony in social behavior.”

Using the device mentioned earlier, the team wirelessly synchronized, in a pair of mice, a set of neurons in a brain region related to higher order executive function. And guess what? The two animals increased the frequency and duration of social interactions. They became buddies! And if they turned off the synchrony (i.e., when they desynchronized the stimulation) the social interactions promptly decreased in that same pair of mice. Not BFFs anymore.

In other words, in a group setting with several mice fitted with these implants, researchers could cause any arbitrarily chosen pair of rodents to interact more than others did.

That’s what we need. Neural implants. To make us all more cooperative.

Actually all this brain synchrony stuff ain’t new at all. It had already been talked about a couple of thousand years ago.

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ,
if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any affection and compassion,
make my joy complete by being of the same mind,
maintaining the same love,
united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.
Philippians 2:1–5

Synchronized brains!

On the other hand, here is desynchrony—everyone for him/herself—prohibited by God, for it is not useful for cooperation!

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3–4

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers [and sisters] to dwell together in unity!
Psalm 133:1

Brains all synced!

SOURCES:
Nature Neuroscience; Northwestern University