From McCulloch-Pitts to Retina: A Journey Through Neural Networks and Sensory Encoding

Watch a 58-minute lecture exploring the historical impact of biophysical theories on modern computing and artificial intelligence, delivered by Christopher Hillar at UCLA's IPAM Naturalistic Approaches to AI Workshop. Trace the evolution from McCulloch-Pitts' theory of mind, which influenced von Neumann's computer architecture, through to contemporary deep learning breakthroughs. Discover a novel retina-inspired approach to digital sensory encoding developed at UC Berkeley's Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Examine the practical applications of this paradigm in signal processing, source/channel coding, AI learning systems, brain-machine interfaces, and experimental neuroscience research.