Science on Screen®
THE FLY
Monday, June 2nd at 7:30 PM
with a post-film discussion and Q&A with Benjamin Cowley
Ph.D.
of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Join us for an informative, and sometimes shocking, evening
exploring the science of neural networks in the brain, featuring a conversation
with scientist Benjamin Cowley Ph.D. of Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory and a screening of David Cronenberg’s sci-fi masterpiece The
Fly.
What
happens when the line between human and creature begins to blur? In The
Fly, scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff
Goldblum) tests his groundbreaking teleportation device on himself, only to
unwittingly merge with a fly during the experiment. As his body transforms into
something unrecognizably insect-like, Brundle grapples with his rapidly
changing identity, desperately trying to hold onto his humanity. His girlfriend
(Geena Davis) is left horrified as
the man she loved turns into a grotesque monster. (USA, Canada, 1986, 96 mins, R, English
| Dir. David Cronenberg)
Benjamin Cowley Ph.D. & The Cowley group
identify data-driven models of neural responses and behavior by coupling data
collection with model training during closed-loop experiments. They condense
these models into compact, interpretable forms—allowing for the description of the
complicated computations of the brain in a clear and concise way.
As a
preface to the Q&A, Dr. Cowley will briefly explain his laboratory's
groundbreaking work modeling the fruit fly's visual system and explain why
studying visual systems different from our own can offer new insights into
human vision. He’ll also discuss how modern artificial intelligence models are
being used to decode the complex processes behind how the fruit fly perceives
its world, shedding light on how such research can deepen our understanding of
sensory adaptation, both in the brain and in the context of genetic
transformation. The conversation will then open into a Q&A discussion with
the audience.
