Lou Scheffer joins us this week to discuss Our Carbon Footprint. 

 

For more than two decades Louis Scheffer has been working to improve the design of microchips, figuring out how to connect hundreds of thousands of electronic transistors in a single device. At Janelia, he is now applying similar design principles to understand another type of “wiring”—the intricate interconnections that neurons make in the brain.

Neuroscientists want to map the flow of electrical signals in the brain to understand how it turns signals from the eyes into images, for example, or instructs arms and legs to move. But these neuronal circuits are difficult to map, especially when dealing with billions of neurons as in the human brain. For each neuron, researchers have to follow its long projections—the axons and dendrites—and determine which other neurons they connect with. Tedious and time-consuming work that marries engineering with biology. 

Lou is a faithful friend of Rotary. Not only does he return to update us on his work, but he supports our Foundation, our Exchange programs and participates in most events.  Thank you, Lou, for your ongoing support of our club and its goals of Service Above Self. 

We meet at noon on Thursdays at 1757 Golf Club. The cost is $20.00 and RSVP are required.