We have 20,000 genes but 100 billion neurones: Nikolay Kukushkin

NYU neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin said on the podcast that genes alone can't wire the brain. "We only have 20,000 genes, and we have 100 billion neurones," he said. Even before birth, a fake test signal travels across the retina to wire the visual system, like TV calibration images, he said, adding the brain must develop by interacting with the world.