1) The Allen Brain Atlas will contain over 1 PetaByte of data.
False. The orders-of-magnitude calculation was done by multiplying 20,000 genes by a trillion neurons, but this is a gross overestimate. A more realistic computation involves multiplying the number of datasets they have, which is around 20,000, with the average size of each dataset. The average size of each dataset is about 10 slices, times the size per slice. The size per slice is about 10,000 pixels wide, which works out to 100 megapixels per slice. Without image compression, each megapixel is 3 megabytes (one byte for each color channel), which means that each slice is 300 megabytes, uncompressed.
Thus, a more realistic calculation of the size of the Allen Brain Atlas is (20,000 datasets)*(10 slices per dataset)*(300 megabytes per slice) = 6 TeraBytes.
So, the real size of the Allen Brain Atlas is around 6 TeraBytes, which is a far cry from a PetaByte.
2) Since mice and humans share more than 90 percent of genes, the Allen Brain Atlas has enormous potential for understanding human neurological diseases and disorders.
False. We share over 70% with insects and over 50% with plants, so according to the logic of the Allen Brain Atlas people, dissecting the genetic maps of oranges he can help us fight heart diseases and schizophrenia.
3) The Allen Brain Atlas will provide the most detailed map of the most complex organ.
False. http://brainmaps.org/ provides the highest resolution whole brain maps, and not just for mice, but for primates and other species. The resolution of BrainMaps.org data is over twice as good as that of the Allen Brain Atlas.
4) The Allen Brain Atlas has already led to several significant new findings about the brain.
False. There are absolutely no peer-reviewed publications over any significant new findings from the Allen Brain Atlas. I do believe that significant findings can be made, but there is nothing published about it in peer-reviewed articles as yet.
5) The Allen Brain Atlas provides a complete genetic map of the mouse brain.
False. It says nothing about silent DNA or junk DNA, not to mention splice variants.
Slashdot Mirror
(20,000 datasets)*(10 slices per dataset)*(300 megabytes per slice) = 60 TeraBytes 60 TeraBytes, not 6. My bad.
1) The Allen Brain Atlas will contain over 1 PetaByte of data.
e n-brain-atlas-misconceptions.html
False. The orders-of-magnitude calculation was done by multiplying 20,000 genes by a trillion neurons, but this is a gross overestimate. A more realistic computation involves multiplying the number of datasets they have, which is around 20,000, with the average size of each dataset. The average size of each dataset is about 10 slices, times the size per slice. The size per slice is about 10,000 pixels wide, which works out to 100 megapixels per slice. Without image compression, each megapixel is 3 megabytes (one byte for each color channel), which means that each slice is 300 megabytes, uncompressed.
Thus, a more realistic calculation of the size of the Allen Brain Atlas is
(20,000 datasets)*(10 slices per dataset)*(300 megabytes per slice) = 6 TeraBytes.
So, the real size of the Allen Brain Atlas is around 6 TeraBytes, which is a far cry from a PetaByte.
2) Since mice and humans share more than 90 percent of genes, the Allen Brain Atlas has enormous potential for understanding human neurological diseases and disorders.
False. We share over 70% with insects and over 50% with plants, so according to the logic of the Allen Brain Atlas people, dissecting the genetic maps of oranges he can help us fight heart diseases and schizophrenia.
3) The Allen Brain Atlas will provide the most detailed map of the most complex organ.
False. http://brainmaps.org/ provides the highest resolution whole brain maps, and not just for mice, but for primates and other species. The resolution of BrainMaps.org data is over twice as good as that of the Allen Brain Atlas.
4) The Allen Brain Atlas has already led to several significant new findings about the brain.
False. There are absolutely no peer-reviewed publications over any significant new findings from the Allen Brain Atlas. I do believe that significant findings can be made, but there is nothing published about it in peer-reviewed articles as yet.
5) The Allen Brain Atlas provides a complete genetic map of the mouse brain.
False. It says nothing about silent DNA or junk DNA, not to mention splice variants.
http://braintechsci.blogspot.com/2006/10/paul-all