[Verse 1]
Widloski and Fiete dropped the blueprint in fourteen
CAN structure learning through exploration scenes
Spike-timing plasticity shapes the neural grid
As rodents navigate the maze, connections get their bid
STDP carves pathways through the spatial dance
Continuous attractor networks getting their chance
Exploration builds the map, synapse by synapse
Memory formation through the temporal gaps
[Chorus]
Supporting papers tell the tale
Grid cells and place cells never fail
CAN learns to navigate the space
Successor rep shows the future place
Medial circuits intertwined
Predictive maps inside the mind
[Verse 2]
Stachenfeld brought the twist in twenty-seventeen
Hippocampus as predictor, not just memory machine
Place cells encode what's coming next in line
Successor representation crossing space and time
Botvinick and Gershman joined the research crew
Nature Neuroscience published something new
Not just where you are but where you're gonna be
Temporal difference learning sets the neurons free
[Chorus]
Supporting papers tell the tale
Grid cells and place cells never fail
CAN learns to navigate the space
Successor rep shows the future place
Medial circuits intertwined
Predictive maps inside the mind
[Bridge]
From plasticity rules to predictive schemes
MEC integration fulfills the dreams
Spatial coding meets the temporal flow
These papers show us what we need to know
Entorhinal cortex holds the master key
Unlocking secrets of geography
[Verse 3]
Two studies bridging plasticity and prediction
Neural mechanisms beyond simple detection
CAN structure emerges from the wandering path
While successor states do the future math
MEC inputs feeding hippocampal fire
Building cognitive maps that never tire
From Widloski's learning to Stachenfeld's view
Supporting evidence makes the picture true
[Verse 4]
Experimental data backs the theoretical frame
Border cells and head direction join the game
Theta oscillations drive the learning phase
Neural coding through the hexagonal maze
Computational models meet biological fact
Supporting papers bridge the knowledge gap
From molecular plasticity to cognitive maps
Neural navigation fills the research gaps
[Chorus]
Supporting papers tell the tale
Grid cells and place cells never fail
CAN learns to navigate the space
Successor rep shows the future place
Medial circuits intertwined
Predictive maps inside the mind
[Outro]
Module two foundation with supporting proof
Neural navigation underneath one roof
Understanding MEC through the research lens
Where spatial memory begins and never ends