While Neuroscience 2021’s in-person offering was cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the conference is still going ahead online November 8-11.

The ease of switching between online sessions – and the Society for Neuroscience’s (SFN) dedicated session planner – makes finding specific topics straightforward. However, there are still a dizzying number of plenaries, symposia and posters to sift through. Here, we pick a few highlights from day two of the conference.

M18 – Decoding Speech From Neural Signals

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, November 9

This minisymposium will review exciting advances in our ability to convert neural recordings into speech. By using electrocorticography, Utah arrays and even brain-computer interfaces, the goal of giving voice to those who cannot speak is moving closer every day.

S07 Structural Basis of Sensation

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM, November 9

This year’s Nobel prize for physiology or medicine was shared by David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, who pioneered our understanding of how our body senses heat, cold and pressure at the molecular level. This subfield remains a rich source of new findings, and a series of short lectures here will review our knowledge of our incredible sensory world.

L19 – David Kopf Neuroethics Lecture — The Law and Neuroprosthetics

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM, November 9

The future isn’t quite here, but it is coming very fast. Advances in neuroprosthetics that could greatly enhance our cognitive and motor functions are around the corner, judging by the pace of current research. Neuroethicists can help us navigate this potential moral minefield, and in this lecture, the University of Ottawa’s Professor Jennifer Chandler will lay out the key ethical concerns of these new technologies.