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Originally Posted by Lisnaholic
^ You're not remotely like I expected you to look, Xurtio ... and can you explain your explanation, please!
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I used to have long hair, completely different look.
I'll go as far back as I can. Basically, brains are made of neurons and neurons are cells, which means they have a "skin" (the membrane) and some internal components. In the membrane, there are channels that allow ions to pass selectively through - and the ion concentration from inside the cell to outside the cell is different (so, for instance, there will be more sodium outside of the cell than inside). This causes two forces - first the "force" of diffusion - soluble particles in a water solution will spread out until they are uniform through the whole container. But because these are ions, they are also charged, so there is an associated electrical force. The negotiation between these two forces is what leads to the "action" potential. A spike of electrical activity that travels down neurons as ions flood in and out of the neuron. And these action potentials are what carry signals around the brain so that organsims can sense things and respond to them.
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Originally Posted by DwnWthVwls
are you trying to find ways to speed or slow synthesis or bypass the membrane? If you can put it in layman's terms what kind of real world applications does this have?
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No, I'm just trying to construct a mathematical model of it for academic purposes. The way it functions is not captured in any canonical models, but the behavior it exhibits is observable in other neurons (like let down reflex in breastfeeding mammals, birth contractions, and even some cognitive processes) and, as we develop technologies that stimulate, inhibit, or entrain brain regions to overcome diseases, having mathematical models of neural dynamics will help the control systems side of things.