In the 1860s, scientists believed they were on the verge of uncovering the brain's biggest secret: how the brain's signals travel through the body. They believed these impulses travelled uninterrupted along a massive web of tissue. But soon, a young artist would cut down this hypothesis, and sketch a bold new vision of how our brains work. Melanie Peffer details the discoveries of Golgi and Cajal. [Directed by Artrake Studio, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott].

Melanie E. Peffer: The artist who won a Nobel Prize... in medicine

The artist who won a Nobel Prize... in medicine

Santiago Ramón y Cajal's sketches of neurons debunked reticular theory, founding the neuron doctrine and modern neuroscience.

Golgi's 'black reaction' in 1873 unveiled neuron structures, challenging the reticular theory with visible cell distinctions.

Cajal's neuron sketches in 1889, showing cells weren't physically linked, pivoted neuroscience towards the modern neuron doctrine.