Obama to Unveil Initiative to Map the Human Brain
“President Obama on Tuesday will announce a broad new research initiative, starting with $100 million in 2014, to invent and refine new technologies to understand the human brain. […] The effort will require the development of new tools not yet available to neuroscientists and, eventually, perhaps lead to progress in treating diseases like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy and traumatic brain injury. It will involve both government agencies and private institutions.
The initiative, which scientists involved in promoting the idea have been calling the Brain Activity Map project, will officially be known as Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, or Brain for short; it has been designated a grand challenge of the 21st century by the Obama administration.” (via kateoplis)
This is so huge! M. shakes with anger when he thinks about the fact that Bush suspended all federally-supported stem cell research upon taking office (which was pretty much all of it).
His ex suffered traumatic brain injury as a result of an aneurysm and stroke when they were living together (you can read a bit about it in Lunch In Paris, actually). The fact that Bush set back by eight years the kind of research that could by now be regenerating key parts of her brain functionality is personally infuriating (in addition to all the generally infuriating things that man did).
Coupled with stem-cell research that has now recommenced on a significant scale, Obama’s directive will certainly lead to cures and treatments for many of the diseases and tragedies that scare me the most.
I’m not someone who particularly cared about the suspension of NASA’s space exploration program. Between the mysteries of our bodies and the degradation of our planet, we have more than enough to deal with at home.
Times Haiku: Serendipitous Poetry from The New York Times.
This one is from “Early Bird Species Had Four Wings, Scientists Find.”
Brilliant.
(via whydoihaveablog:timeshaiku)
Pretty neat. (Also, let us commend him for making a career out of the urge to burn ants with a magnifying glass.)
A New Perspective of the Day: This is What an Ant Colony Looks LikeLook at this aluminum cast of an underground ant colony created by American entomologist and retired biology professor Walter R. Tschinkel. Interestingly enough, for how complex this looks on the surface, the casting process is actually pretty straightforward (if not cruel); all you have to do is pour molten aluminum down into the hole and let time and nature work their magic.
Meteor striking Russia. Watch the video here. (via alittlespace:strle:hoppip:hadesworld)
(Source: dodsrike)
Super Plant, 1995: Psychoactive plant material, acrylic, and resin on wood panel. Fred Tomaselli, b. 1956, Santa Monica, CA (via ctcarter)
This Fred Tomaselli painting and collage of real marijuana leaves embedded in resin would be the perfect poster for any loved one’s
dorm roomnursing home room.Recent research in Israel led by film director Zach Klein (more on him in another post), has found that 19 elderly patients, given THC powder, vapor, smoke, or oil 3 times a day, experienced great improvements in their lives. They all ate and slept better, reduced their dependence on other medications, returned to a healthier weight, experienced fewer tremors, had less depression, and improved their ability to communicate.
Read more about the study at Science Blog.
(via 3rdofmay)
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