Could a Neuroscientist Understand a Microprocessor?
Fig 13
(A) For the processor we understand its hierarchical organization as well as which part of the silicon implements which function. For each of these “functional modules” we know how the outputs depend on the inputs. (B) For the brain, it is harder to be sure. The primate visual system is often depicted in a similar way, such as this diagram adapted from the classic Felleman and vanEssen [66] diagram. These areas are primarially divided according to anatomy, but there is extensive debate about the ideal way of dividing the brain into functional areas. Moreover, we currently have little of an understanding how each area’s outputs depend on its inputs.