New Brain Map Charts Every Component in the Biological Universe

Neurons make up less than half of the brain. Yet when it comes to brain mapping, they get all the limelight. It's easy to see why: as shockingly powerful mini-processors, neurons and their connections--together dubbed the connectome--hold the secret to highly efficient and flexible computation. Nestled inside the brain's wiring diagrams are the keys to consciousness, memories, and emotion. To connectomics, mapping the brain isn't just an academic exercise to better understand ourselves--it could lead to more efficient AI that thinks like us.