President Proposing Ten-Year Brain Study Project

An image of the human brain from Gray’s Anatomy. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Obama administration is planning a large, long term effort to understand and map the human brain, according to a story by John Markoff in The New York Times.

The brain study is modeled after the Human Genome Project, funded under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, which provided the map of the human genome that is now the basis of new scientific efforts to cure diseases like cancer.

The brain study is projected to take 10 years and put the U.S. in the lead on understanding diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as mental illness.

There is no projected budget at the moment, but Markoff writes that the White House may unveil the study as soon as next month.

New York Times: Obama Seeking to Boost Study of Human Brain

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Guest:

John Markoff, senior writer for The New York Times.

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President Proposing Ten-Year Brain Study Project
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We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

Clara

I think the issue here is that the President has major “head” problems.
Someone needs to study why this dictator is doing what he does for policies.
Are they or his own making or on advice of his “handlers” and “puppet master”.
Otherwise the guy is a real Obamination.
http://twitter.com/Zach_VanNatta Zach VanNatta

Well, as a metric system advocate, I like this focus on STEM. Our recent petition ( wh.gov/UazQ ) which was sponsored partly by reddit.com/r/metric , might even get a positive response from the BO administration. It’s awesome that we can be the top producer of new scientific findings, I just wish that the public had the resources to interpret these findings better than they do now.
Ed

A few thoughts on this subject.

One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine —- William Osler
A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs. —Joan Welsh

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human body, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease. Thomas Edison…

He’s the best physician that knows the worthlessness of the most medicines. ~Benjamin FranklinThe field of Western medicine has become literally nothing but medicine. Doctors are on their way out, to be replaced byself-serve pharmaceutical vending machines. ~Grey Livingston
JV

a ten year “brian” study? check your headline …. funny
- Rachel Rohr, Here & Now
  
  Fixed – thanks!
Gula

Too bad your people can’t spell “brain” properly.
Is that due to the dumbing down of the educational they went through?
- Steve
  
  I get your message here. I assume that the “system” was to proceed “educational”.
  I would have to agree that Obama needs to concentrate on the priorities of what the American people wish. That be on the economy and jobs.
  If you are going to study brains, Mr. Obama, then start with that of say Dick Cheney or Henry Kissinger, two known war criminals.

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