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We need something smarter than the most powerful supercomputer: YOU!


What if you could investigate cutting-edge neuroscience from your home? You can! The EyeWire Citizen NeuroScience project is a unique project in which anyone can participate actively as a researcher from your home, office or wherever you like.

Together we will aim to trace the connectome, in particular, the connectome of the retina. This is the first step towards discovering the connectome of the human brain.

But what is a connectome? A connectome is a diagram of the connections between the neurons in our brain. You have seen those charts in the back of airline magazines which show the flight links between cities? Now imagine a graph with one hundred billion cities and all of the connections between them. This would be analogous to the connectome of the brain.

And why is understanding the connectome important? We know that there is something different happening in the brains of people with certain mental disorders, but in most of these disorders there is nothing abnormal which can be observed. One theory is that neurons may be poorly connected, and for that we must see them one by one - understanding the connectome. Furthermore, neuroscientists have long suspected that our memories can be represented in the way that our neurons are connected, but this has not yet been proven. And what about our individual identity? what it is made of? Maybe it could be comprised of your connectome.



We will begin this exciting adventure into the connectome and connectomics by attempting to find the connectome of the retina. Within the retina, hidden in the back of the eye, there is an incredibly dense network of interconnected neurons. If we map out the large number of connections between these cells, we will be closer than ever to understanding how vision works. To accomplish this, we need something more intelligent than the most powerful supercomputer - you.

You can help discover things that machines can not. Enter the microscopic world of the retina to follow the twists and turns of the neurons that no one has seen. You will be at the forefront of scientific exploration by tracing the multiple connections of these branched cells called neurons. Join us in exploring the jungle of the eye.

To visit the homepage of the project, follow this link: EyeWire