Brains encode faces piece by piece

Monkey nerve cells respond to different facial features, combine data for full picture

faces

BUILD-A-FACE  Scientists showed monkeys pictures of faces (top row) while measuring the activity of a monkey’s brain cells. By adding together the information given by 205 nerve cells, researchers were able to reconstruct the faces the monkey had been shown (bottom row).

D. Tsao

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A monkey’s brain builds a picture of a human face somewhat like a Mr.