Mod 01 Lect 01 Course Outline and Scope

Summary

This course, provided by NPTEL and the Indian Institute of Science, focuses on the intersection of neuroscience and engineering. It aims to bridge the gap between these fields, emphasizing the relevance of neuroscience in engineering, especially with the rise of AI and machine learning. The target audience includes engineering students, particularly those in AI and control systems, biomedical engineers, and anyone interested in neuroscience without a technical background. The course is designed to be accessible and engaging, leveraging the instructor's unique background as a neurosurgeon with engineering knowledge to provide a comprehensive and approachable understanding of the topics.

Highlights

• The course introduces neuroscience to engineers, emphasizing its relevance in tech fields, especially AI. 🧠
• Engineering students are the primary audience, as they are future tech creators. 🚀
• Neurosurgeon's insights bring a unique perspective to the curriculum. 👨‍⚕️
• Bridges the knowledge gap, making complex biological concepts understandable. 🌉
• Designed for both those in engineering and those generally curious about neuroscience. 🌎

Key Takeaways

• Neurosciences are crucial in modern engineering, especially in AI development! 🧠
• The course aims to make neuroscience approachable for engineers. 🎓
• Target audience includes engineering students, AI professionals, and curious minds. 🌟
• The instructor uniquely combines medical and engineering perspectives. 👨‍⚕️👨‍💻
• Content is simplified without heavy medical jargon for wider accessibility. 📚

Overview

Welcome to an exciting fusion of neuroscience and engineering, courtesy of the Indian Institute of Science and NPTEL. This course stands as a bridge between two often separate realms, emphasizing how neuroscience concepts play an increasingly vital role in engineering, particularly in fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Whether you're pursuing a career in these evolving domains or just curious, this course positions neuroscience as a pivotal player in technological breakthroughs.

The course is crafted mainly for engineering students but opens its doors to anyone intrigued by how biological principles influence tech innovations. The content delivery avoids heavy medical jargon, making it accessible for those outside the biomedical field. The course discusses practical applications across various engineering practices, showcasing the biological foundations of technologies we often take for granted.

Our instructor brings a unique perspective, being both a practicing neurosurgeon and an engineer. This dual expertise enriches the learning experience, offering insights from both a medical and technological viewpoint. Expect to engage with a curriculum that demystifies complex neural concepts, tailored to foster a deep understanding that could inspire future innovations. It's not just learning; it's about seeing the world through a new, interdisciplinary lens.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction to Neurosciences for Engineers Introduction to Neurosciences for Engineers
• 01:00 - 02:00: Relevance of Neuroscience in Engineering The chapter discusses the growing significance of neuroscience in engineering. It begins with an exploration of various forums, ranging from research to teaching, and the industrial impact. The integration of neurosciences into engineering workflows is highlighted as essential, particularly with advancements in artificial intelligence, making it a cornerstone of modern engineering practices.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Course Objectives and Target Audience This chapter discusses the integration of neural sciences with various engineering fields. It highlights the course's aim to introduce biological concepts to engineering students, bridging a knowledge gap. The course is inspired by similar programs in Western education systems.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Inadequacy of Biological Introductions in Engineering This chapter addresses the need for tailored educational methods when introducing biological concepts in engineering contexts. It highlights the necessity for educators who can effectively bridge the gap between these fields, emphasizing the importance of presenting material in ways that are accessible to those without a biological background.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Importance for Control System Theory and Biomedical Engineering The chapter discusses the intersection of control system theory and biomedical engineering, emphasizing the importance for engineering students to understand the biological basis of many engineering principles. It highlights the influence of human biology and nature as inspirations for engineering solutions.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Bridging the Gap between Engineering and Biological Sciences This chapter introduces the intent behind bridging engineering and biological sciences. It discusses the foundational role of physical and engineering sciences and emphasizes the importance of reaching out to engineering students who will form the future generation in this interdisciplinary field. Engineering students are highlighted as a key audience, given their potential to advance the integration of these scientific domains. The course aims to inspire and equip them for this role.
• 06:00 - 07:00: Addressing Diverse Audience Groups The chapter discusses the importance of integrating knowledge from the biological and medical fields into technological advancements in hardware and software development. It highlights the potential of targeting AI and ML professionals, focusing on neural networks, which are central to many contemporary advancements.
• 07:00 - 08:00: Speaker's Unique Background and Professional Experience The chapter titled 'Speaker's Unique Background and Professional Experience' discusses the speaker's observations regarding the inadequacy of biological introductions in research and commercial areas, particularly in reflecting the complexity of the nervous system. It highlights the speaker's awareness of the challenges faced in modeling biological entities and the existing gaps in understanding the computation of the nervous system even in technical literature.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Understanding Neural Networks and Engineering Concepts In this chapter, the focus is on the importance of understanding neural networks within the realm of engineering. The speaker addresses a group that may not fully grasp these concepts, highlighting the necessity to concentrate on seemingly unrelated areas like control system theory. The speaker acknowledges the interest of those passionate about control system theory in understanding natural processes and human interactions. The chapter emphasizes bridging the gap between technical understanding and practical applications in engineering.
• 09:00 - 10:00: Speaker's Experience with Brain Surgery This chapter discusses the speaker's experience with brain surgery, focusing on the complexities and intricacies of the nervous system in managing tasks in a fluid and controlled manner within rich environments. It touches on the integration of neural sciences into biomedical engineering, highlighting its importance in understanding brain functions.
• 10:00 - 11:00: Scope of the Course and Neurosciences Topics The chapter discusses the background of students enrolled in the course, highlighting that most graduates are from an engineering background. The instructor notes a preference among these students for content with an 'engineering flavor' rather than being heavily laden with medical and biological terminology. The chapter remarks on the traditional divide where individuals who dislike biology gravitate towards engineering and vice versa. However, it is mentioned that this division is becoming less relevant over time, suggesting a significant shift in the interdisciplinary approach of modern education.
• 11:00 - 12:00: Course Content and Biological Concepts Simplification The chapter discusses the presentation of course material in biological sciences, emphasizing the complexity due to the use of sophisticated terminology. It highlights the expectation for students to have strong memorization skills in this domain. In contrast, engineering is portrayed as a more analytical discipline with less emphasis on memorization. The chapter identifies a convergence point between biological sciences and engineering in the field of biomedical engineering, where professionals must integrate analytical skills with the memorization and understanding of complex biological concepts.
• 12:00 - 13:00: Conclusion and Next Steps The chapter discusses giving presentations to people to help them focus better on their courses. It highlights groups of students who, despite not being engineers or in the biomedical sciences, have a keen interest in neurosciences. The narrator reflects on past experiences conducting science exhibitions and observing this interest.

Mod 01 Lect 01 Course Outline and Scope Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] good morning afternoon and evening this title the title of the course is neurosciences for engineers so
• 00:30 - 01:00 the course starts from a lot of a lot of thought in various forums starting from research to teaching and and from the industry so neurosciences has become an integral part of the engineering workflow uh thanks to the thanks to the developments in artificial intelligence it's become the watchword for
• 01:00 - 01:30 most contemporary technological advances there is hardly any area of engineering which has not been touched by neural sciences so what the course attempts to do is it gives tries to give the relevant biological flavor for the engineering faculty students and the engineering community at large this is actually a beginning it's an attempt to to bridge a gap which has always been in existence i've seen western uh classes and courses
• 01:30 - 02:00 which take care of this this this particular area of science why now we deal with this courses because a teacher the material needs to be presented in a different way for an for a non bio biology group of audience now that can be done only when you have people who can bridge the gap between the engineering side and the biological sciences
• 02:00 - 02:30 so i felt that there is a particular need and being a student myself in an engineering domain i felt that the need is acute because there is a lot of a lot of stuff which which is done by engineering people but we who do not understand that there is a biological basis for many of it ultimately all of us are humans we are biological entities and many of the ah inspirations we take from ourselves as human beings and from nature
• 02:30 - 03:00 are are form the foundation on which we do our work whether it be in many of the physical sciences engineering sciences so that forms the inspiration for this course uh having said that uh i would like to address the what forms the target audience so at the outset it is engineering students why engineering students because they are going to be the the future generation who is going to
• 03:00 - 03:30 build the next level of hardware and software so i felt that there is a necessity of showcasing what is known in the biological side the medical side where there are some advances so the first target is of course the people who are doing ai and ml because neural networks as you know are the benchmark computing entities on which most of the developments are happening in the
• 03:30 - 04:00 research as well as in the commercial areas so uh when we when i have seen introductory uh biological introductions i found that completely inadequate and they do not reflect the richness of the nervous system and the computation of the nervous system also ah even in technical papers i have understood that ah many people actually try to you know model their uh they work based on biological entities but there is there is there is this gap which which stems
• 04:00 - 04:30 from a lack of understanding so it is to this group that i address the uh close to now also there are there are several other domains of engineering where ah where we where there is a necessity to focus on uh very unrelated stuff like for example control system theory which i which i understand so uh obviously people who are interested in control system theory would like to know how nature takes care of stuff how how we as human beings are
• 04:30 - 05:00 able to perform tasks so fluid and so so controlled but as yet uh you know in a very rich environment so how does how does nature or the nervous system take care of this stuff so that's the second area of a second area of focus the third group is biomedical engineering biomedical engineering they are supposed to have neural sciences as a as a part of the syllabus and i'm sure that they would be taking a reading through that but again uh biomedical engineering the
• 05:00 - 05:30 graduates as yet as of now are most of them are from the engineering background and they would like to listen to something with an engineering flavor rather than with a very drawl medical terminology and biological terminology traditionally we've noted that people who don't like biology go into engineering and who don't like engineering are in biology but times have changed and this this artificial division exists
• 05:30 - 06:00 because the way in which the material is presented so material in the biological sciences have fancy names you are supposed to have a large memory capacity to remember that there is engineering is generally thought to be of as an analytical science in which there is a lot more work to be done and less of memory but there is a meeting point between that ah between the two sciences and biomedical engineers are exactly in that area where uh where they need to focus on both these fields
• 06:00 - 06:30 so it is also to give a presentation to these people that uh you know who can who can focus on their uh focus on their courses uh better than what they were doing so far now there are also groups of students you know uh groups of students who are not engineers or not in the biomedical sciences but they they have a keen interest in neurosciences i've had in my past experiences of conducting science exhibitions i've noted that
• 06:30 - 07:00 some of the better questions come from students who are in their high schools and undergraduate classes and who have never understood or who have never been exposed to neural sciences in general now if you try looking into neurosciences videos or literature on the topic it is very difficult to enter into the topic you you they are expected to have a certain level of maturity to listen to understand the topic what the
• 07:00 - 07:30 course tries to do is you you find some material which is easily understandable even by a person who doesn't have a technical background in any of these areas neither the engineering side nor the medical side of the story so it is for those people that this course should help some help them make it's also sort of trying to inspire people to work into the field because both engineering and neurosciences are hot areas but you should know what it what it takes to
• 07:30 - 08:00 take a career in either of these or maybe both of these there is also another group of people whom i am trying to address the senior faculty the people who are actually doing engineering work and somewhere in their work they find that you know you have a problem which requires a solution which is you know you you you are very good engineer but then there are some things which you would like to know how nature takes care of it how humans do it within their heads and bodies and that may form an
• 08:00 - 08:30 inspiration to either your research work or your jobs or just you know as something which you add on to your knowledge base which you already richly have so it is this very diverse groups of people that i try to address uh address this uh course to so so why me so that's the next obvious question ah this is a difficult question so to answer because anybody who has a medical background can
• 08:30 - 09:00 technically produce this course so why do you need to listen to me is something which i have to convince you so i have i'm a neurosurgeon practicing neurosurgeon my job is regularly to go into the skull and operate on the brain so i have a usp that way you know i've learnt about the brain and i also handle diseases of the brain in physical terms so going into the skull and seeing parts of the brain gives a different kind of
• 09:00 - 09:30 knowledge which is very different from reading textbooks doing statistics and numbers and working in a lab so it's with that pride that i take the opportunity of trying to teach something of what is there within the skull and how it works and why it should be necessary for all of you to understand a part of it part of it it's also with humility that i say that of course there are limitations in my own understanding which you would find at some point of time there may be discrepancies between what is taught to
• 09:30 - 10:00 you what you understand and what is generally prevalent there are places where i take liberty of associating between various things which you may not find in a textbook please do take it at face value because ultimately there are no authorities in any particular subject you know you have there are other people who know stuff and there are people there are there are there's a lot of conflicting literature in many areas so as in any branch of science it is a attempt to tell what i know from my background
• 10:00 - 10:30 you would need to you know be convinced you if you find something unconvincing it's an opportunity to work work more in that area and find new stuff so that's also another uh reason my background a professional neurosurgeon with who's doing an engineering phd gives me a very unique perspective of things so when i sit in an ml class when you speak about techniques in convoluted neural networks how weights
• 10:30 - 11:00 and activations are used to used in neural networks and what back propagation means it has a completely different meaning for me as a biological person as somebody who's learned the same stuff in medicine so there is a there's a deeper understanding of this stuff of course i can't still program but you know i i understand how the uh engineering side of the topic is dealt with i also have an understanding of how
• 11:00 - 11:30 the biological side of uh biological side works so the attempt is to use both of my knowledge backgrounds and make it more sensible to the next generation because you know people so far have been working in very isolated silvers so i think it is right for me with this kind of a background and somebody who's in hardware engineer on the on on this part of the skull to bridge the gap so ah so what i uh what i was uh
• 11:30 - 12:00 actually com uh saying is that there are there is there is this uh opportunity of uh there is also this opportunity that as neuroscience we we we operate on various parts of the brain i have operated on i think almost every square centimeter of the brain in various patients or the past 10 15 years or so so within that duration of time i've seen what happens to people with with various kinds of brain diseases and
• 12:00 - 12:30 we you know we have taken out parts of the brain we have not taken out parts of the brain and how these people behave and in fact it's amazing that for the kind of surgery which we do that people have that much amount of neurological reserve by which they are able to carry out their routine uh lives so it is that knowledge base which i would like to transfer to the audience and say how how rich it is and what is the opportunity for an engineering student graduate
• 12:30 - 13:00 person in the domain to carry forth and improve upon to you know at least match on ah to something what is there in the biological side so scope of uh discussion so you know that we we start with that there is there exists no syllabus so what in neurosciences can i teach to a engineering audience so how much of that how much what depth is required and what is the scope of the topic so frankly speaking i have no idea you
• 13:00 - 13:30 know it's it is it is it is it's an it's a beginning so you would have to discount me on that area i have tried to cover any cover topics which are of course taught in my medical medical side of this story and i try to put it in a the packaging is different because an engineering graduate should not be thought thought that you know the hippocampus is sitting in the floor of the temporal horn or that the
• 13:30 - 14:00 pcom artery is a branch from the internal carotid artery which joins into the posterior cerebral artery so that doesn't make sense but what would make sense is that these vessels have unique functions and damage to these vessels cause unique problems so maybe that's that's that's to the extent with which i would mix up the biological side to the uh course so that is uh that's the focus so we start with a broad introduction to the
• 14:00 - 14:30 structure and functioning of the nervous system as we understand it and i will try to put the terminologies as much as possible in a non-biological way so non-biological in the sense that i will try to use not use medical terminology as much as possible so that you know it gets uh you would have a better understanding especially for people who don't like biology there is all uh the idea that we should be bridging between bridging the topics between engineering and biology and that is one of the focus which i will be
• 14:30 - 15:00 starting and as i told in my earlier discussion we will be spanning various levels of expertise starting from very fundamental fundamental stuff to very advanced stuff but of course targeting an audience which is considered naive to neurosciences so we'll stop at this and then continue next