Yesterday, at the White House, some of America’s leading researchers, scientists, and technologists met to discuss how to answer one of our next grand challenges -- the human brain.
In fact, the 3-pound mass between our ears, remains one of the greatest mysteries in science. Nearly 100 trillion neural connections, which help drive our thoughts, emotions, and actions, remain uncharted.
But just like scientists mapped the human genome, catalyzing breakthroughs, creating jobs, and birthing industries, we are now poised to capture a dynamic image of the human brain.
The President’s BRAIN Initiative has amassed more than $300 million in commitments from the private, public, philanthropic, and academic sectors in an all-hands-on-deck effort to accelerate the development and application of new technologies to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how cells and circuits interact at the speed of thought. These technologies will open new windows into the world of the brain, and help us tackle disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury.
That’s why students and scientists, companies and citizens -- and even former competitive snowboarder Kevin Pearce -- are coming together to answer the President’s call to action to take the next great leap in human discovery by unlocking the mysteries of the human brain.
Read the message that Kevin sent to the White House email list this morning about the BRAIN initiative -- and why it's personal for him:
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