Imaging the Neural Symphony

Since the start of the new millennium, a method called two-photon microscopy has allowed scientists to peer farther into the brain than ever before. Our author, one of the pioneers in the development of this new technology, writes that “directly observing the dynamics of neural networks in an intact brain has become one of the holy grails of brain research.” His article describes the advances that led to this remarkable breakthrough—one that is helping neuroscientists better understand neural networks.