Harvard and Google create most detailed 3D Map of Human Brain Fragment

Harvard and Google researchers have teamed up to create an incredibly detailed 3D map of a small fragment of an adult human brain. The project began a decade ago when Dr. Jeff Lichtman, a biology professor at Harvard, received a brain sample just 1 cubic millimeter in size. Despite its small size, the sample contained 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and a staggering 150 million synapses.

“When we first started examining the sample, it was stunning,” Lichtman said. “But we quickly realised that we had far more data than we could process.”

The team ended up collecting a massive 1,400 terabytes of data—equivalent to the contents of about 1 billion books. To handle this enormous amount of information, the Harvard team collaborated closely with scientists at Google over the next 10 years.

The result of this collaboration is the most detailed map of a human brain sample ever created. By using advanced microscopy techniques and an AI system, the researchers have produced a 3D map of the brain at the nanometer scale—a resolution of 1-millionth of a millimeter. This level of detail has provided the highest resolution view of the human brain ever achieved, allowing scientists to explore the brain’s intricate structure in ways never before possible.

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The groundbreaking map is expected to advance our understanding of the human brain, paving the way for future research in neuroscience and artificial intelligence.