xcorr: AI & neuro

Reverse correlation is a tried-and-tested nonlinear systems identification method to understand biological neurons. The idea is to open the black box that is a biological neuron by using random stimuli to probe how the neuron responds. We present a series of random stimuli to a sensory neuron. By averaging those that generated a response, we

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So you’re beginning to use Python daily. Great! You might still have a critical set of Matlab scripts from back in the day that doesn’t have a neat equivalent in Python. How do you rewrite this code in Python without introducing many headaches? I’ve had to do this a handful of times and have developed

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I was surprised by the amount of positive response to my last article on transitioning away from Matlab. Many people are ready to switch – but they’re facing some significant challenges. One of the biggest things I’ve heard beginners say is that they are overwhelmed with the number of choices they have to make with

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In my last article, I talked about how I got a job in industry. I had been programming Python on and off for 10 years when I got my first non-academic job. Having proficiency in a language that people use outside of academia will improve your chances of getting a job in industry. Learning a

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I often get asked how I landed a job in industry after my postdoc. After my PhD at McGill, I started a postdoc at UCLA in July 2014. After about 6 months, like many a postdoc, I started to get worried about my financial security and academic job prospects. So I started exploring jobs outside

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A scallop. Each of the blue dots lining the shell is an eye. Source: Wikipedia. Scallops are a family of bivalves. These modest saltwater clams often end up on seafood dinner plates, but did you know that scallops have dozens of image-forming eyes? They focus light onto a multi-layered retina through a telescope-like parabolic mirror.

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