The neocortex is the most computationally advanced portion of the brain. It is currently assumed to be composed of a large number of "cortical columns" - intricate arrangements of cortical neurons approximately 300-500um in diameter and 2-5 mm in height in humans - that might serve as the elementary computational unit of the neocortex. Understanding the computation performed by this microcircuit is one of the keys to our comprehension of the brain. The so-called cortical column is not a static entity as it evolves throughout a lifetime and continually adapts to the information from its...