Think Like a Rat

Since 1971 when the results of single electrode recordings of neurons with “place fields” were first documented, scientists have produced an enormous body of research in an attempt to understand these small but significant components of the rat brain. This research has confirmed that after a rat has gained familiarity with a simple test environment, a neuron will respond strongly and selectively to the rat’s presence within a small part of that environment. But despite 30 years of research, remarkably little is known about the computations that produce and use the output of these “place cells”.