University researcher showcases his work in London

Martin Coath has devised ‘The Brain Game’ to encourage a deeper thinking about the science behind how the brain functions.

In a series of public lectures, suitable for adults and teenagers, the game will invite people to get off their chairs and pass messages around the room to simulate brain cells in action.

Coath said: “It shines a spotlight on the mystery inside our heads and reveals that in some ways the brain is very simple. The aim of this event is to get past all of the confusion that surrounds what people think they know and get down to the nitty-gritty of neurons.”

Coath is also involved in other projects researching brain functions including ‘SCANDLE’, where he and five EU partners are working to establish a device or machine to make sense of the world using artificial sensory systems.

He adds: “We are developing a system that will be able to identify and distinguish living beings from inanimate objects on the basis of sound alone. It is, in a sense, similar to robotics where the end result is to make machines more useful, reliable and flexible.”

His work has featured on BBC Radio 4’s flagship science current affairs programme ‘The Material World’, and a paper he has co-authored on state-of-the-art research into the design of systems using brain-like silicon chips has recently been accepted for publication in the Frontiers in Neuromorphic Engineering journal.

Plymouth University Professor Susan Denham, who is in overall charge of the project, said: "In SCANDLE, we are very excited about the possibilities opened up by this work for building new brain-inspired devices and look forward to seeing what the team comes up with next."

‘The Brain Game’ will be played at the Science Museum in London on Saturday 17 December 2011.

The University will also offer a further chance to find out more about ‘SCANDLE’ during an international workshop ‘Making Sense of Sounds’ in February 2012.

ENDS