On the need to unify neuroscience and physics

Abstract

Neuroscience is a relatively new research field that, so far, has resulted in important progress in understanding the physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and structure of the vertebrate brain. Because of this progress, spectacular technological developments, i.e. positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), diffusion tensor imaging, magneto-encephalography, electro-encephalography, etc., and new treatments based on them, such as high-frequency repetitive TMS (rTMS), deep brain stimulation, etc., have been of great use. However, despite those technical and clinical successes in neuroscience, in which the advances in physics have played a substantial role, one fundamental problem is still unsolved, namely, how to unify neuroscience and physics? As we will discuss in the present editorial, not only is this problem important from a purely fundamental, theoretical perspective, but it is also vital for the development of more optimal treatments in clinical neuroscience.