DesktopFly Brings Real Fly Brain To macOS

DesktopFly is a delightful demonstration of connectomics as executable software, though its biological realism ends where the modeling assumptions begin.

• –Uses real FlyWire v783 neuron positions, synaptic connections, and neurotransmitter predictions
• –Maps neural populations to visible behaviors including escape, walking, steering, grooming, and sleep
• –Interactive brain window lets users stimulate circuit regions and observe downstream responses
• –Runs locally on macOS 13+ with Swift, requiring no permissions or entitlements
• –Useful as an educational bridge between neuroscience datasets, simulation, and embodied behavior