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History: The Redwood Neuroscience Institute opened in August 2002. The genesis of the institute goes back over twenty years when its founding director, Jeff Hawkins, became interested in neuroscience and decided to change from an engineering career to a scientific career. He wanted to understand how information was processed in the brain from a mathematical and information-theory point of view. Scientists such as Claude Shannon and Alan Turing had laid the theoretical foundation for what had become the digital computer revolution and Hawkins felt a similar approach would benefit the study of brain function. The early and mid-1980s were the heyday of Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks. At this time few neuroscientists were studying theoretical models and Hawkins found he was unable to pursue the research he hoped to. Instead he remained in the commercial world with the goal of returning to neuroscience in the future. In the late 1990s after working successfully in mobile computing for many years Hawkins started meeting with neuroscientists to discuss his goals and the state of neuroscience. The 1990s saw a large increase in the number of scientists interested in theoretical approaches to biology in general and neuroscience in particular. But institutions were slow to embrace information theory and memory models as tools for studying the brain. Theory was mostly used to support and elaborate classical animal and imaging experiments. Scientists wanting to primarily study theoretical aspects of cognition found fewer doors open to them. Several scientists suggested to Hawkins that starting an independent research institute focused on theory and large-scale memory models would be a good idea and could make an important difference in the field. (Several of these scientists, including Christof Koch, Bob Knight, and Steve Zornetzer are now advisors to the Redwood Neuroscience Institute.) Based on this encouragement, Hawkins incorporated RNI in April 2002 and it opened its doors in August of 2002. The Redwood Neuroscience Institute is structured as a 501.c.3 California non-profit corporation. Funds for the first few years of operation are being provided by the Strauss-Hawkins trust. As the Institute grows it will seek funding and grants from government agencies and other outside sources as required by its 501.c.3 status, and also because we believe that outside participation is important for a new institution. |
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© 2002 Redwood Institute. All rights reserved. |
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