Researchers have created a high-resolution 3D map of brain activity, revealing unprecedented details about the intricate connections between neurons. The map, which includes over 200,000 brain cells and 500 million synapses, provides a new understanding of how the brain processes visual information.
To create the map, scientists recorded the firing of nearly 76,000 neurons in a mouse’s visual cortex while watching various videos, including clips from The Matrix. They then sliced up tiny blocks of tissue and imaged each slice to assemble the images into a 3D map. Artificial intelligence algorithms were used to annotate the neurons, their branching projections, and synapses.
The resulting map is a significant breakthrough in neuroscience, revealing the complex connections between neurons that enable the brain to process visual information. “It’s like looking up at the stars of night,” says one neuroscientist, describing the sense of awe-inspiring complexity revealed by the map.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01088-x