Neuroimaging scientists liken their work to that of early cartographers mapping the globe. It's an appealing analogy: If our current understanding of the brain is akin to the charts that Columbus used, then the ultimate goal is something like a Google Maps of the brain. Imagine a Street View that allows us to visualize information traveling along neural pathways, or traffic updates that alert us to breakdowns and offer detour options. There's a whole lot of history between Columbus and Google, and so a whole lot of science needs to be done.
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