There are hundreds of theories about the brain, about how it’s “plastic” and can be trained to work differently, etc.

It’s recognised as the most complex thing in the human body, and yet the most mysterious…

The reason: There are so many trillions of interconnected brain cells, that creating a map of how they actually interconnect simply isn’t possible. So everyone just keeps talking about top-level theories about how it works, about what it’s capable of, and about how to solve illnesses that stem from it…

Until now. An unbelievably ambitious project to create an actual 3D map of all the cells in a brain has commenced. It’s starting with something quite fundamental – vision.

They are crowd sourcing people, and have gamified the process, giving points for people’s contributions, having a leaderboard, and making what is ridiculously complex and mundane… quite fun…

I can’t get over how crazy this project is – forget all the theories, start from the ground up, create an actual map of all the connections within the brain! Unbelievable.

From the Eyewire Facebook page:

About

Eyewire is a citizen science project that is working toward mapping cells and the connections between them in the retina. Brought to you by the Seung Lab at MIT.

Description

Inside the retina, tucked away at the back of the eye, lies an incredibly dense tangle of interconnected neurons. If we can map the many connections between these cells, we will be closer than ever to understanding how vision works. To achieve this, we need something more intelligent than even the most powerful supercomputer — you.

You can help discover things that machines can’t. Delve into the microscopic realm of the retina to glimpse the twists and turns of neurons hitherto unseen. You will be at the forefront of scientific exploration as you chart the entangled branches of those tree-like cells called neurons. Join us to explore the eye’s jungle