Preface . . ix 
Acknowledgments . . xi 
Introduction . . xiii 

1 What Engineers Know about Design . . 1 
2 Why an Animal Needs a Brain . . 11 
3 Why a Bigger Brain? . . 41 
4 How Bigger Brains Are Organized . . 57 
5 Information Processing: From Molecules to Molecular Circuits . . 105 
6 Information Processing in Protein Circuits . . 125 
7 Design of Neurons . . 155 
8 How Photoreceptors Optimize the Capture of Visual Information . . 195 
9 The Fly Lamina: An Efficient Interface for High-Speed Vision . . 235 
10 Design of Neural Circuits: Receding Analogue Signals to Pulsatile . . 265 
11 Principles of Retinal Design . . 277 
12 Beyond the Retina: Pathways to Perception and Action . . 323 
13 Principles of Efficient Wiring . . 363 
14 Learning as Design/Design of Learning . . 399 
15 Summary and Conclusions . . 433 

Principles of Neural Design . . 445 
Notes . . 447 
References . . 465 
Index . . 519