The New York Times reports that the Obama administration plans to spearhead a scientific effort over the next decade that aims to build a comprehensive map of activity in the human brain. The effort will reportedly involve scientists from federal agencies and private foundations that will work together to advance our understanding of perception, actions, and consciousness.

The Times says that the project seeks to accomplish the same level of impact that the Human Genome Project had on genetics, and scientists see it as a way to potentially find new therapies for illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

As Google futurist Ray Kurzweil observes, the effort also “holds the potential of paving the way for advances in artificial intelligence.” […]