Milking a spherical cow: Toy models in neuroscience

2024/09/11 by Randall D. Beer, Ann‐Sophie Barwich, Gabriel J. Severino · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · #Fractal and DNA sequence analysis #Functional Brain Connectivity Studies #Neural dynamics and brain function

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/ejn.16529

openalex publication_date 2024/09/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15

Abstract

There are many different kinds of models, and they play many different roles in the scientific endeavour. Neuroscience, and biology more generally, has understandably tended to emphasise empirical models that are grounded in data and make specific, experimentally testable predictions. Meanwhile, strongly idealised or 'toy' models have played a central role in the theoretical development of other sciences such as physics. In this paper, we examine the nature of toy models and their prospects in neuroscience.

Citations

• Models as Mediators
• A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve
• Impulses and Physiological States in Theoretical Models of Nerve Membrane
• What’s so special about model organisms?
• Reduction of conductance-based neuron models
• Multifunctional Pattern-Generating Circuits

Discussions

• 2. Brains are massively complex, but if our goal is to understand them, then building scale models may not be the best approach. In physics, many breakthroughs have come from abstracting away comple [bsky, 5 points, 1 comments]

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