For a long time, scientists have believed that specific patterns of activity in our brains arise from signals travelling through a complex web of trillions of connections that link different parts of the brain. New research from Monash University overturns this view by showing that the shape of brain exerts a stronger influence over the patterns of activity that can emerge in the brain. Just like the shape of a pond constrains the ripple patterns formed by a falling raindrop, the shape of the brain determines how waves of neuronal activity travel as we process different types of information, opening the possibility that differences in brain shape may sculpt the way in which each of us perceive and think about the world.
To help explain the research, Monash and the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health invited Lifebuoy Video to design and develop a short animated clip that would summarise a complex process into a video under 30 seconds. Yesterday the research was launched to the global media, and our animation now features in the New York Post! We are proud to have played a small part in assisting the research team in bringing clarity and recognition to this landmark study.