Upon descending into the high-ceilinged main room, visitors find themselves in the cerebral cortex, the wrinkled, outer layer of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions. “And I want people to know that, yeah, that’s cool … but the real action is in the constant work and organization of these neurons.” “When think of the human brain … they think of this big, four-pound blob with hills and valleys,” says John Morrison, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Davis and the lead scientist behind the project. The immersive experience marries cutting-edge science and art to illuminate the life experience of the brain’s 86 billion neurons. The exhibit is the product of a years-long collaboration between ARTECHOUSE and the Society for Neuroscience, a professional organization representing neuroscientists around the globe. Visitors to Washington, D.C.’s technology-based art space ARTECHOUSE will get a chance to watch that story unfold in Life of a Neuron. The neurons in your brain have a story to tell.
