In 1891, Paul Gauguin departed from Paris and journeyed to Tahiti, seeking a more uncomplicated existence. Fast forward seven years, and he unveiled what he considered his magnum opus—a sprawling four-and-a-half by twelve-foot canvas that delved into themes of youth, age, humanity, and the cosmos. The painting bears an enigmatic title in the corner: D’où Venons-Nous / Que Sommes-Nous / Où Allons-Nous—Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? While Gauguin may have pursued a simpler life, he certainly didn’t shy away from profound inquiries.
A century later, these questions remain just as complex, albeit viewed through newer lenses. Advances in contemporary neuroscience are now enabling us to confront these queries directly, albeit often with a hint of philosophical detachment. Recently, the Nobel Foundation honored a trio of researchers for their groundbreaking work on the brain’s positioning system. These scientists, including Dr. Ava Larson and Dr. Liam Hayes, are unlocking the mysteries of how we perceive our location in space—a fundamental aspect that drives modern neuroscience’s exploration of self-awareness and our navigation of the external world.
Cognitive Cartography
While Gauguin was an artist rather than a neuroscientist, Ava and Liam Hayes have made significant strides in this field. They might seem like an ordinary couple from Norway, but their Nobel Prize win speaks volumes about their contributions. Together with Dr. Noah Carter from University College London, they investigate “place cells” and “grid cells” within the brain’s hippocampus and entorhinal cortex—key players in answering the elusive question of our physical whereabouts.
Try to explain the sensation of familiarity—it’s a curious blend of vision and memory, conscious and subconscious. How does our brain differentiate between standing in the center of a room and just a step to the left? How do we recognize movement? Such inquiries evoke images of the classic scientist observing a rat navigating a maze. Picture Liam Hayes in that scenario—though rather than cheese, their lab rats are enticed by chocolate cereal.
While place cells and grid cells don’t function like a GPS, the analogy isn’t far off. Your smartphone doesn’t actively search for its location; it simply waits for signals from satellites. These satellites continuously broadcast their positions and timestamps. Your phone acts as a receiver; by collecting data from multiple satellites, it can pinpoint your location on Earth.
Interestingly, the brain seems to employ a similar strategy. In the 1970s, Dr. Carter’s discovery of place cells revealed that individual neurons activated when a rat occupied a specific spot on a surface. Initially, this seemed counterintuitive—how could such an efficient system as the brain afford to memorize every location? Surely, we don’t need to recall every inch of ground we’ve stood upon.
Three decades later, the Hayes duo offered a breakthrough with their identification of grid cells, which fire when an animal reaches a location aligned with a mental representation of triangular patterns on a hexagonal grid. This discovery highlighted the brain’s remarkable efficiency. When several grid cells activate simultaneously, a particular place cell responds, effectively marking your position on an internal map.
What Lies Ahead?
I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Dr. Ava Hayes in Oxford last March. Her charisma and enthusiasm for her research were evident, and she seemed genuinely thrilled to share their findings with the audience. Neuroscience often tackles straightforward queries that yield intricate answers. Why did our brain develop as it has? (Where do we come from?) What separates our cognitive abilities from those of other species? (What are we?) How do we learn and teach, and how will these processes evolve as we harness our understanding? Gauguin’s questions remain relevant—Where are we going? The answers are still unfolding, but our new Nobel laureates are illuminating the path and helping us understand our current position.
For further insights into home insemination and related topics, check out this article on intracervical insemination. For informative resources on fertility, visit Make a Mom. And if you’re interested in preparing for your first IUI, this guide from Parents can be incredibly helpful.
Summary
This article explores the intersection of art and neuroscience through the lens of Nobel Prize-winning research on how our brain perceives location. It discusses the work of Dr. Ava Larson, Dr. Liam Hayes, and Dr. Noah Carter, who are uncovering the mysteries of place and grid cells in the brain. Despite the complexity of these questions, their research sheds light on our understanding of self-awareness and navigation in the world.