2025
Data Simulations, Interactive Software creation
Cogito ergo sum is an interactive piece investigating how the human brain produces thoughts, and how neuroimaging technologies are able to decode the neuronal networks behind these cognitive processes. Its visuals depict abstract representations of the brain waves and networks associated with specific thoughts. Through interaction, audiences are encouraged to consider the tangible nature of thought itself and how it might be translated into readable neural activity.
The project invites viewers to question their own understanding of thoughts and to reflect on technology’s growing ability to decode them. What implications does this have for personal privacy? And would we remain truly free in a world where our innermost thoughts could be accessed, with or without our consent?
Experience the Software
documentation of the piece during the exhibition “foreplay” in December 2025
Research and Conceptualisation
For my final year of studies I had to pick a theme to research and produce a Thesis project from. My fascination for neuropsychology is what inspired me to create Cogito Ergo Sum. While investigating the brain and its connection to psychology I came across a very interesting concept: to scientists, the brain and the mind are one and the same, meaning that our neurons are what produce emotions, fears, thoughts, opinions, basically all that makes up our identity. I found extremely fascinating how this aspect of neurology gave a sense of tangibility to abstract concepts, such as memories and thoughts: this means that our brain is a sort of physical map of our identity.
Inspired by this concept, I started producing some first prototypes, which were abstract illustrated representations of neurones. I was heavily inspired by Santiago Ramon Y Cajal's drawings, which were the first ever neuroimages, illustrated by this scientist with the use of chemical dyes and a microscope.
The more I investigated, the more I discovered about this topic. I learnt that many devices were being devised to combine Neuroimaging technologies to AI to attempt and decode the cognitive abilities of the brain. Aside from machines that read attention, stress, and emotion levels, I also discovered a machine devised in 2023 by the University of Sydney, the first ever machine that could read human thought. This technology completely revolutionised the way I look at thoughts, making me realise that they are nothing but a succession of neurones firing together.
For my final year of studies I had to pick a theme to research and produce a Thesis project from. My fascination for neuropsychology is what inspired me to create Cogito Ergo Sum. While investigating the brain and its connection to psychology I came across a very interesting concept: to scientists, the brain and the mind are one and the same, meaning that our neurons are what produce emotions, fears, thoughts, opinions, basically all that makes up our identity. I found extremely fascinating how this aspect of neurology gave a sense of tangibility to abstract concepts, such as memories and thoughts: this means that our brain is a sort of physical map of our identity.
Inspired by this concept, I started producing some first prototypes, which were abstract illustrated representations of neurones. I was heavily inspired by Santiago Ramon Y Cajal's drawings, which were the first ever neuroimages, illustrated by this scientist with the use of chemical dyes and a microscope.
The more I investigated, the more I discovered about this topic. I learnt that many devices were being devised to combine Neuroimaging technologies to AI to attempt and decode the cognitive abilities of the brain. Aside from machines that read attention, stress, and emotion levels, I also discovered a machine devised in 2023 by the University of Sydney, the first ever machine that could read human thought. This technology completely revolutionised the way I look at thoughts, making me realise that they are nothing but a succession of neurones firing together.
Process
I decided this had to be the centre of my thesis project: I wanted to translate thoughts into data and visualise this data. I was inspired by the neurotechnology used by the University of Sydney to decode thoughts as patterns of brain activity: an Electro-encephalogram (EEG). I envisioned using an EEG device with 5 electrodes positioned in 5 different areas of the brain and then recording the amount of brain activity in each area during each thought. This way each thought would have a unique combination of neural activity for each area of the brain, mimicking the machine produced by the University of Sydney.
I wanted to produce visual representations of thoughts through data simulations, so Houdini was my choice to generate the visuals. I produced a few particle simulations that emulated the energy spreading from each neurone, incorporating a range of 5 colours for each of the 5 electrodes of the EEG device I had available to use. In this way, the amount of each colour would correspond to the amount of brain activity of each electrode.
When it came to understanding how to present my simulations, I was trying to imagine how to involve the audience. I thought that an interactive piece would be the best way to do so: by "activating" the piece and discovering my thoughts, the audience would be emulating the process of brain-reading machines to decode and uncover private neural activity.
Finally, I decided to accompany the piece with a set of color-coded illustrations that could help the audience decode the diverse simulations, attributing the level of activity from different areas of the brain to each thought.
I decided this had to be the centre of my thesis project: I wanted to translate thoughts into data and visualise this data. I was inspired by the neurotechnology used by the University of Sydney to decode thoughts as patterns of brain activity: an Electro-encephalogram (EEG). I envisioned using an EEG device with 5 electrodes positioned in 5 different areas of the brain and then recording the amount of brain activity in each area during each thought. This way each thought would have a unique combination of neural activity for each area of the brain, mimicking the machine produced by the University of Sydney.
I wanted to produce visual representations of thoughts through data simulations, so Houdini was my choice to generate the visuals. I produced a few particle simulations that emulated the energy spreading from each neurone, incorporating a range of 5 colours for each of the 5 electrodes of the EEG device I had available to use. In this way, the amount of each colour would correspond to the amount of brain activity of each electrode.
When it came to understanding how to present my simulations, I was trying to imagine how to involve the audience. I thought that an interactive piece would be the best way to do so: by "activating" the piece and discovering my thoughts, the audience would be emulating the process of brain-reading machines to decode and uncover private neural activity.
Finally, I decided to accompany the piece with a set of color-coded illustrations that could help the audience decode the diverse simulations, attributing the level of activity from different areas of the brain to each thought.
At the beginning of December 2025, my class organised an exhibition where we presented prototypes of our Thesis projects. You can see the documentation of the piece in the above images. For this deadline I was not able to integrate real neural data in Houdini, as it requires a significant amount of time to execute. In fact, this project is currently ongoing.
Going forward I have two objectives. Firstly, continue the capture of brain data with the EEG device and integrate it in my project. Secondly, play more with the visuals and interactivity of the piece. My vision for the completed project would be a VR environment where each thought would have a unique visual and acoustic aesthetic world which could be explored by the audience through a headset. In each world the thought would be represented by visualisations of data from the EEG headset. Using a VR environment would give the viewer the impression of actually entering my brain, and create a more enveloping experience.