We may have been the ones who set cockroaches loose in the classroom. Which makes us thrilled to see ever more creepy-crawlies being enlisted to help democratize neuroscience! A new Arizona State University-led study, released just last month, shows how simple behavioral roach experiments can pair with free, open-source machine learning to make high-level science accessible to anyone.
Our very own SpikerBox has long shown that you don’t need a $20,000 lab to record spikes. The new study addresses another problem that often crops up when it comes to machine learning: the lack of processing power on simple computers that most schools have to contend with. All you need for the experiment proposed in the study is the cloud-based SLEAP algorithm to track and record roach movement, and Google Colab to analyze the data. (Both are free to use and require zero coding experience.)
You also need a simple elongated plastic chamber that you can 3D print, a syringe to pump in some air or vape vapor (yes, really), and 18 roaches. This way, even the most underserved K-12 and undergraduate schools can teach both hands-on ethology and data science in Python without spending a dime.
It’s not (entirely) a myth: cockroaches can thrive in just about any kind of environment. But the study’s proposed experiment asks another, more nuanced question. Do they actually like everything you throw their way? Are they likely to get into substances like nicotine, or even get hooked on it?
There’s always a good deal of creativity, laughter and general joie de vivre at our booth, but this year’s SfN (Society for Neuroscience) conference got another layer of novelty: knitted bugs and brains in wheelbarrows.
If you’re thinking that we’ve started making 3D knitted swag, you’re in the wrong. These were in fact gifted to our wonderful team leader Stefana by her friend Marina so that she could bring them over to Chicago for SfN 2024. Hereby we thank both Stefana and Marina. We also promise to take great care of the goodies and adorn each of our booths with them wherever we may go.
Hello! My name is Akiira and recently, I’ve been involved in an educational project in Santiago, Chile, related to neuroscience and biology. We focus on teaching young children about how muscles, the heart, the brain, and even plants work. Through simple and fun experiments, children can observe, feel, and hear the different reactions and changes that occur in these systems and organisms. These experiments not only make learning interactive but also foster curiosity and a deep understanding of the human body and the plant world by seeing their similarities.
Version II: Showing Muscle Signals with the Human SpikerBox
As for me, I’m 16 years old and I’m in my second year of high school. I have a great passion for both volleyball (I play the “armador” position) and the arts in their different expressions. In my free time, I really enjoy listening to music, especially K-pop (Itzy, Lesserafim o Blackpink are my favorites), while drawing or spending time playing video games. I consider myself a very energetic and extroverted person, always looking for new activities and challenges that allow me to learn and grow every day.
Left: Me with my volleyball team. Right: Me in Flamenco classes with my Mom.
Jesús
Hello, my name is Jesús Gil, and I study at the Alberto Blest Gana High School. I participate and assist in the neuroscience workshop for grammar school students with professor Angelica Romero and neuroscientist Tim Marzullo, in which we do research on the heart, brain, and plants. For example, the experiments we have done on the heart is knowing what the heart does when the human body is exposed to different temperatures and physical exercises.
Me teaching students the basics of chemistry and voltage to stimulate a cricket leg.
Regarding the plants, we burned a leaf of the plant and saw its electrical response and behaviors through the computer. What I learned in this workshop is working as a team and, above all, a lot about science. I thank professor Angelica and the neuroscientist Tim Marzullo for everything they have taught me and for letting me be part of this community.
I am a 14-year-old teenager, Venezuelan, living in Santiago de Chile for more than 7 years. I live with my parents and my sister. I really like science, and I am a person very dedicated to my studies. I really like to exercise, and my favorite sports are basketball and mountain biking. I am an assistant in the neuroscience workshop at my Alberto Blest Gana school along with my classmate Akira, happy to belong to it.
Me doing one of the things I love, hiking in the Andes Mountains – Lagunillas in Cajón del Maipo
