Connectom

How could it be that diamond and graphite, which are composed of the same set of atoms, are so different in their whole structure? Their atoms are arranged in a different manner, thus resulting in different characteristics. Couldn't we get inspired by this story for understanding the emergent behaviors from the neural units in the brain? Well, Sebastian Seung got inspired.

He believes that the way the neurons are wired together---the connectivity map of the brain---determines what we are. This map has been named connectom. In his lab, he has started from the retina of mice, investigating its connectom. How long it will take to draw the mysterious map of the whole brain sounds too ambitious from outside, though he is optimistic.