Electrophysiology Lab and Neurophysiology Lab, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology

The main goal of this year’s event was to present to the general public different features of the brain and neurons, and in particular their central role in the integration information that ultimately leads to behavior, form the movement control, to processing of sensitive inputs, to decision making. The activities were organized at La Plata Museum, each day from Tue 15 to Sat 19, and consisted in a set of introductory interactive stations, followed by a main talk, including live demonstrations and activities with participation of the audience. The first part included a participative demonstration of brain samples from different species and microscopic observation brain slides, a set of experiments to measure reaction times, and tests for the public to show different aspects of our chemical senses and their interplay. The main talk included: – A short introduction to the nervous system, live measurements and stimulation of the electric activity on a cockroach leg using a Spikerbox. – A large scale model of a neuron to depict synaptic transmission – Live electromyographic recordings on a volunteer, direct stimulation with the resulting signal into the cockroach leg, and later into a second volunteer’s arm. These experiences were safely performed with a Human-to-Human interface and TENS unit. During the talk we made use of a large touch-screen for showing slides, and projecting a video feed and live traces from the experiments. Additionally, on Tue, Fri and Sat we hosted a set of short talks by local philosopher Prof. Dr. Martin Daguerre, who talked about the emotional and rational aspects of decision making. Overall, the event was an enjoyable and rewarding experience, which encourages us to continue next year.

After this year’s event, we have been invited by the National Research Council (CONICET), through its Program for the Promotion of Scientific Vocation to take part with our activities in the International Book Fair of Buenos Aires. We’ve also been invited by CONICET to participate in the Neuroscience Day organized at the CIIDEPT in the city of Tucuman, reaching over 200 students and teachers (http://bit.ly/1XsS5uk). Both activities resulted in a very positive, encouraging experience.