This Time, Humans Out-Perform Computers
Computers are terrible at mapping the brain. Given a cross-section of a retina for example, computers have trouble distinguishing neurons from other cells and empty space. Humans, on the other hand, can perform this task with ease.
Still, mapping the brain would be a monumental task for one human. So MIT neuroscientist Sebastien Seung recruited more than 120,000 online gamers to help him – via an online game called EyeWire.
Players help color in neurons, and a computer later compiles their data into a complex map. Already, their work is helping scientists understand how the brain sees movement.