Talk title: The neural basis of cuttlefish camouflage and social behaviorSpeaker: Tessa G. Montague, ph.D.; HHMI Hanna Gray Fellow, Richard Axel Lab at Columbia UniversityAbstract: Cuttlefish are coleoid cephalopods that dynamically change the color, pattern and texture of their skin to camouflage with their surroundings. Camouflage is achieved by expanding and contracting pigment-filled saccules in the skin called chromatophores, through the action of motor neurons that project from the brain. Thus, the patterning of the skin is a physical manifestation of neural activity in the brain. In addition to camouflage, cuttlefish use their dynamic skin to communicate with conspecifics using a series of innate skin patterns that reveal the animal’s internal state. We are using the cuttlefish skin behaviors to understand how the physical properties of the visual world are represented by patterns of neural activity in the brain, and how this representation is transformed into an approximation of the physical world on the skin. We have performed a series of experiments to develop the dwarf cuttlefish, Ascarosepion bandense, as a model to investigate the neural basis of camouflage and social communication. We have described the stages of embryonic development, sequenced the genome and transcriptome, completed a 3D brain atlas, developed camouflage and social behavioral paradigms, and examined dwarf cuttlefish behavior in the wild. Furthermore, we are generating transgenic cuttlefish that express genetically-encoded calcium indicators and light-activated channels, permitting the live imaging and manipulation of neural activity. These technologies should permit us to simultaneously record neural activity and measure behavior to uncover how visual information is deconstructed in the brain, and then reconstructed into an image of the physical world on the skin.

Experience the immediate benefits of myofascial release with this simple and effective self-care practice. Learn specialized ball rolling techniques that help penetrate through layers of skin, fascia and muscle and massage into your high-tension areas.Each class includes guided exercises using the Roll Model therapy balls, breath work and stretching techniques specifically designed to ease overburdened muscles and encourage deep mind-body relaxation. Explore various muscle groups and needy body areas each week to eliminate strain and discomfort from sitting too long, working on screens and living with stress.You will find greater self-awareness, freedom and ease in your body. Put the power of self-massage into your own hands.All levels welcome! This is a movement class and workout attire is strongly encouraged.Registration is required on our wellness class website. If you do not already have an account on this website, you'll need to create one. This is a fee-based class and open to the entire MIT community.

Join us at the MIT Museum as we welcome scholars Jana Dambrogio and Daniel Starza Smith to discuss their new book, Letterlocking: The Hidden History of the Letter. The presentation will be followed by a letterlocking making activity.Before the invention of the gummed envelope in the 1830s, how did people secure their private letters? The answer is letterlocking — the ingenious process of securing a letter using a combination of folds, tucks, slits, or adhesives such as sealing wax, so that it becomes its own envelope. This almost entirely forgotten practice, used by historical figures ranging from Elizabeth I and her spies to Japanese samurai lords, was an everyday activity for centuries, across cultures, borders, and social classes. In Letterlocking, Jana Dambrogio and Daniel Starza Smith, experts who have pioneered the field over the last ten years, tell the fascinating story of letterlocking within epistolary history, drawing on real historical examples from all over the world.Copies of Letterlocking will be available for purchase onsite from the MIT Press Bookstore.June 13 6-8pm $5

Outdoor movie night! Featuring Inside Out (PG). Free popcorn will be provided, while supplies last. 🍿🌃Thanks to our friends at Open Space Programming for partnering with us for this program. Registration is here.

Outdoor movie night! Featuring Inside Out (PG).Please note that seating is available on a first come, first served basis; feel free to bring along a blanket or chair.

"Do you ever feel that life holds a deeper meaning beyond what you currently understand? The truth is profound—there are countless mysteries of existence, divinity, and the self that lie beyond our awareness. There is so much we don’t know, and even more that we don’t realize we don’t know."Join us on this exciting journey of Discover Your Self to explore the unknown territories of life and delve into the science of spirituality. This course, based on the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, will equip you with proven methods to achieve true inner joy and answer your deepest questions about life's higher principles. This Course explains Proven methods to attain the true inner joy of heart and gives answers to all the Inquiries about Higher Principles in life like the pathway for unlimited and everlasting happiness from the eyes of scriptures like Bhagavad Gita in a scientific perspective.Salient Features:Discover the Game of LifeDiscover Inner SelfDiscover The Ultimate GeniusDiscover Manual of LifeDiscover Lasting SolutionDiscover Sublime Joy Through SoundDiscover The Real Eternal LoveDiscover The Happy PlanetYou are invited to join us every Friday 6:30-7:45 pm. To your pleasure we have free delicious sattvik vegetarian dinner is available after every session.Venue: MIT Room 56-162, 32 Vasaar Steeet, Cambridge MA Kindly RSVP here https://forms.gle/DEXUz6ig6dJZoU1k7Regards, MIT Vedic Vision Forum