Nudel’s post from September 2022 observed the similarities between the surface of the brain’s outer shell, the neocortex, and 3-dimensional folded origami surfaces (such as the Miura fold).
Nudel consulted OpenAI’s ChatGPT to see how an LLM (Large Language Model) might respond to the speculation that the folding form of the neocortex’s surface allows for a large surface area to be accommodated within the confines of the human skull. Here’s what ChatGPT had to say:
The folding of the human neocortex, or the outer layer of the cerebrum, is thought to be an adaptation that has allowed for the expansion of brain surface area within the constraints of the skull. This expansion has allowed for the evolution of increased cognitive abilities such as language, abstract thought, and consciousness.
The folded topology of the neocortex allows for a greater surface area to be packed into a smaller volume, much like how the wrinkles on a brain allow for more gray matter to be packed into the skull. The folds, or gyri, and grooves, or sulci, of the neocortex are thought to have developed as a result of the growth and expansion of the brain during development.
The folding of the neocortex is not unique to humans and is also seen in other primates and some mammals. It is thought that the more highly developed the neocortex is in a species, the more highly folded it will be.
Nudel tested the folding efficiency of a regular Miura fold plane composed of equilateral parrallelograms
