Google and Harvard researchers present the most detailed map of the human brain to date

A joint team of researchers from Harvard University and Google Research has created the most detailed 3D map of the human brain to date. The reconstruction, which combined 1,400 terabytes of digital data, includes no less than 57,000 neurons, 230 millimeters of blood vessels and 150 million synapses – all in one cubic millimeter of brain. The resulting images highlight the impressive complexity of the human brain, as well as details that have never been discovered before. The complexity of the brain’s microstructure underlies our inherent cognitive abilities. However, our understanding of this structure is significantly limited due to lack of access to high-quality brain samples. For example, biopsies can provide valuable information about the functioning of an organ and the pathological conditions that may affect it, but they are rarely performed on the human brain.