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Big neuroscience maps the brain
With the BRAIN Initiative, researchers have set their sights on revealing the intricate parts and processes of the human brain. Science News explored some of the challenges facing this venture in a Special Report in the February 22 issue.
“I am unequivocally happy that this project exists,” tweeted Ben (@bxburton). “So am I,” responded @LisaGoogles. “Neuroscience is an exciting frontier.”
Some readers had thoughts on how to decode the brain’s connections. “I wouldn’t consider trying to understand a computer by tracing the wiring — it is much too complex, although not nearly as complex as a human brain. Since nature has neglected to provide us with a user’s manual, I would turn to the next best thing: the schematics or (perhaps more aptly for a biological computer) the recipe — namely, the DNA,” wrote David Gross, a retired computer professional, in an e-mail. “It should be far simpler to decode the recipe than to pick apart the end product.”
Steven Ostrom wrote, “I thoroughly enjoyed reading your recent issue on the brain. The articles were extremely interesting and written so they could be well understood by readers like me without a degree in neuroscience. But I do need to take you to task for making a sensational statement with no data or explanation to back it up. On Page 17 you state, ‘A pea-sized lump of brain tissue contains more information than the Library of Congress.’ I can’t deny that claim, but what unit of measurement is being used to quantify ‘information,’ and how is the comparison being made? It would be nice for the benefit of readers if you would explain any such sensational statements.”