A fluorescent image of the cellular doughnut reveals the connections (red) between individual neurons (blue).
New techniques allow scientists to hear what neurons are saying -- and to talk back.
Hundreds of billions of neurons tangle together into the two pounds of folded, wrinkly tissue we call the brain. Scientists have spent years trying to eavesdrop on electrochemical signals -- neuronal chatter -- to figure out what happens when a memory is formed or an emotion is felt.
Scientists have recently moved beyond implanting electrodes and using functional MRI scans to begin harnessing the power of cell culture and microchips.
They're not only listening to what each neuron is saying, but also starting to talk back.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/07/12/neuron-whisperers/#ixzz1RwDQzHNp
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