A Surprising Way Your Brain Is Wired

Get a 20% discount to my favorite book summary service at shortform.com/artem Socials: X/Twitter: https://x.com/ArtemKRSV Patreon: https://patreon.com/artemkirsanov My name is Artem, I'm a graduate student at NYU Center for Neural Science and researcher at Flatiron Institute. In this video, we explore the fundamental pattern of network structure – small world graphs. We discuss what they are mathematically, what problems they solve, and how they endow our brains with such powerful computational capabilities. Code: https://github.com/ArtemKirsanov/Youtube-Videos/tree/main/2025/A%20Surprising%20Way%20Your%20Brain%20Is%20Wired Outline: 00:00 Introduction 00:52 What are graphs 02:42 Network properties 06:10 Regular vs random networks 07:10 Small-worldness 10:08 Hub nodes and heavy-tailed distributions 12:02 Computational advantages 15:44 Conclusion References: Bacik, K.A., Schaub, M.T., Beguerisse-Díaz, M., Billeh, Y.N., Barahona, M., 2016. Flow-Based Network Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Connectome. PLoS Comput Biol 12, e1005055. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005055 Bullmore, E., Sporns, O., 2009. Complex brain networks: graph theoretical analysis of structural and functional systems. Nat Rev Neurosci 10, 186–198. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2575 Dura-Bernal, S., Neymotin, S.A., Suter, B.A., Dacre, J., Moreira, J.V.S., Urdapilleta, E., Schiemann, J., Duguid, I., Shepherd, G.M.G., Lytton, W.W., 2023. Multiscale model of primary motor cortex circuits predicts in vivo cell-type-specific, behavioral state-dependent dynamics. Cell Reports 42, 112574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112574 Farahani, F.V., Karwowski, W., Lighthall, N.R., 2019. Application of Graph Theory for Identifying Connectivity Patterns in Human Brain Networks: A Systematic Review. Front. Neurosci. 13, 585. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00585 Sporns, O., 2011. Networks of the brain. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. Van Den Heuvel, M.P., Sporns, O., 2011. Rich-Club Organization of the Human Connectome. J. Neurosci. 31, 15775–15786. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3539-11.2011 Yan, G., Vértes, P.E., Towlson, E.K., Chew, Y.L., Walker, D.S., Schafer, W.R., Barabási, A.-L., 2017. Network control principles predict neuron function in the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome. Nature 550, 519–523. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24056 Yu, M., Sporns, O., Saykin, A.J., 2021. The human connectome in Alzheimer disease — relationship to biomarkers and genetics. Nat Rev Neurol 17, 545–563. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00529-1 Icons by Freepik and Biorender Music by Artlist This video was sponsored by Shortform