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Shelfrock77 OP t1_iqurgj8 wrote

“Our brains are among the most complex objects in the known universe. Deciphering how they work could bring tremendous benefits, from finding ways to treat brain diseases and neurological disorders to inspiring new forms of machine intelligence.

But a critical starting point is coming up with a parts list. While everyone knows that brains are primarily made up of neurons, there are a dazzling array of different types of these cells. That’s not to mention the various kinds of glial cells that make up the connective tissue of the brain and play a crucial supporting role.

That’s why the National Institutes of Health’s BRAIN Initiative has just announced $500 million in funding over five years for an effort to characterize and map neuronal and other types of cells across the entire human brain. The project will be spearheaded by the Allen Institute in Seattle, but involves collaborations across 17 other institutions in the US, Europe, and Japan.

These awards will enable researchers to explore the multifaceted characteristics of the more than 200 billion neurons and non-neuronal cells in the human brain at unprecedented detail and scale,” John Ngai, director of the NIH BRAIN Initiative, said in a statement.”

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Dalinian1 t1_iqwgkol wrote

How do people VOLUNTEER for assisting with this?

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biglybiglytremendous t1_iqxnb8d wrote

I’m sure you have to write an NIH grant and be part of an organization (e.g. professor in higher education) to participate.

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Dalinian1 t1_iqxo3tc wrote

Being a lab test rat of NIMH would be interesting if I had access to all my data and protocols. But alas I am in the field of public education. Maybe later then lol

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biglybiglytremendous t1_iqxogna wrote

I’m a professor who would also be interested in volunteering on both ends, but the loopholes are probably prohibitive to me as a researcher in social sciences and humanities (even though it goes hand in hand with every field).

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mrhelper2249 t1_iqyyd5w wrote

I would volunteer for this but let us see. This is amazing news. Once we fully understand the human brain some things in Science Fiction will become a reality which is awesome!:) Imagine being able to reverse or stop aging, and even be like Jimmy Neutron would be cool too. Being able to become much more happier would be cool too as well. Diseases' and Neurological disorders can be solved and I think this can happen in the next few to five years if we are lucky and this project by the NIH BRAIN initiative can really do wonders for every single human being in this world. You never know what can be done because when we get Artificial Intelligence in the next five years we will need to be smarter than them and the majority of people have to be smarter than them so we can better be able to understand them and control them. Thank you OP for sharing!:)

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Quealdlor t1_iquwvcm wrote

Hadn't I already read something similar to this years ago?

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A_brand_new_troll t1_iqx33zq wrote

Jesus I need to stop speed-reading titles; I read this as most detailed map of Britain ever

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Black_Sun_Rising t1_iqx74yf wrote

The cost really puts things in perspective. The US army can drop that much money on a single missile.

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redtert t1_iqxk485 wrote

Not true. Trident missiles cost around $30 million, that's probably the most expensive missile the military has.

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Black_Sun_Rising t1_iqy114u wrote

I appreciate the adherence to accuracy. For the sake of my metaphor, do you have any idea how long it takes for the US to spend 500 million on missiles? Is it like, weeks? Months?

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Not-Banksy t1_iqys437 wrote

Once again, depends on the missile and global conflict climate. During peacetime, it goes a while.

When we’re gifting them like fireworks on the 4th of July to Ukraine— very quickly. Also it’s not just the physical missile, but the procurement, supply, and assembly line workers that must all be paid.

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SWATSgradyBABY t1_iqyfmtb wrote

Not on one missile but check how much a ship costs? God forbid a sub

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