Laminar fMRI at 3T: A replication attempt of top-down and bottom-up laminar activity in the primary visual cortex
for Karolis Degutis
This thesis explored whether laminar fMRI at 3T could replicate findings from higher-field MRIs. While the attempt failed, it led to a visualization of the brain’s layered structure, creatively solving data connectivity challenges.
The Creation Process
This was the first Thesis Art piece created using Makie.jl in the JuliaLang programming language. A key challenge was data connectivity — since only discrete points were available, the visualization required solving the Traveling Salesman Problem to determine the shortest path linking them.
Artistic Concept
Since this project involved MRI data, the choice of a brain visualization was natural. The final image highlights the cortex’s stratified structure while integrating nearly the entire thesis as embedded text within the brain’s folds.
“This is Karolis’ actual brain! He later pursued a PhD on a related topic, and we remain forever connected — both through neuroscience and our mutual love for DakhaBrakha.”
Benedikt Ehinger
Personal Reflection
“I love these kinds of images because they reveal the uniqueness, beauty, and fractal nature of the human brain”, Benedikt reflects on the piece’s impact.
