Despite the critical role our brains play in perception, cognition and action, we know very little about how the brain actually accomplishes these feats. With the advent of new optical methods for probing neural networks, researchers have begun to untangle the neural web and shed new light on the mysteries of the brain. These optical techniques are now being taken a step further with the incorporation of spatial light modulators, or SLMs, that enable parallel recording and control of larger neural populations by generating dynamic 3D holograms inside of living brains.DR. CHRISTOPHER HOY, BOULDER NONLINEAR SYSTEMS INC.The brain truly is a marvelous wonder of biology. With an extensive range of functions and dynamics that span many length scales and timescales, it is also marvelously complex. By better understanding our brains’ neural networks, researchers hope to improve our understanding of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. 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