The Simulation Is Not the Fly

I reflect on the distinction between a detailed structural connectome and a functional reconstruction of a nervous system. Experiments built on fly connectivity are exciting, but interpreting them requires attention to neuronal and synaptic properties, sensory feedback, internal state, biomechanics, and the environment.

As this field gains visibility, I think we need to distinguish what has been measured, what has been modeled, and what has been demonstrated biologically.