News From the Field
Massachusetts General-led Study Reveals Simple Structure Underlying Complexity of the Primate Brain

March 29, 2012

How do you build a brain? In the March 30 issue of Science, a team of investigators presented a surprising answer, reporting their discovery of a remarkably simple organizational structure in the brains of humans and other primates. Employing sophisticated mathematical analysis of advanced imaging data, they found that the pathways carrying neural signals through the brain are arranged not in a disorganized tangle, but in a curved, 3-D grid. Full Story

Source
Massachusetts General Hospital

See also: NSF News Release

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, its budget was $7.0 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 50,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $593 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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