The Brain vs AI: Dr. Doris Tsao & Why the Brain is More Efficient than AI

Join Dr. John Foxe, Director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester, as he welcomes renowned neuroscientist Dr. Doris Tsao to Neuroscience Perspectives. Dr. Tsao shares how her pioneering research has transformed our understanding of how the brain processes visual information. Her lab helped discover that it only takes a few hundred neurons to encode any face – for reference, there are more than a few billion neurons in the brain. This conversation explores the intersection of neuroscience, math, and AI. We also discuss her academic journey—from Caltech to Harvard, and her current role at UC Berkeley. She also shares how having the right mentor was pivotal to her scientific training. Dr. Tsao shares the importance of science communication and what it means to pursue truth in a world shaped by both neural networks and human curiosity.

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🧠Experts in this Episode:

Doris Tsao, PhD: https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/doris-tsao

John Foxe, PhD: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/112360965-john-j-foxe

🧠Labs Mentioned:

Tsao Lab: https://tsaolab.berkeley.edu/

Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab: https://urmc.info/1RG