The Project
The brain is the organ in the body that defines us. How it works – and how well – affects the mind. The individual. The human being.
In recent years and decades, neuroscientific research has learned an enormous amount about the structure and function of the brain. Anatomists, psychologists, physicians, and biologists in a wide variety of highly specialized fields of research are discovering new and astonishing things about the cosmos in our heads every day. Some investigate tiny ion channels, others large networks of neurons. In this way, brain research is creating knowledge that is changing our lives and our self-image – and will continue to change them in the future.
The goal of www.thebrain.info is to present the brain, its functions, and its significance for feeling, thinking, and acting in a comprehensive, understandable, attractive, and vivid way. The portal is a joint project of the non-profit association dasGehirn.info e.V., the Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation, and the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe.
dasGehirn.info e.V.
dasGehirn.info is sponsored by the non-profit association dasGehirn.info e.V., whose members include Nobel Prize laureates Eric Kandel, Erwin Neher, and Bert Sackmann, the major German research communities Max Planck Society, Leibniz Association, and Helmholtz Association, various foundations, and companies.
The non-profit association dasGehirn.info e.V. provides financial support for the internet portal through contributions, donations, grants, and other subsidies. It does not influence the content, structure, functionality, or appearance of dasGehirn.info in any way.
Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy)
Neurological diseases are on the rise – and as societies age, they affect an ever-increasing number of people, not only in Europe, but worldwide.
The Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy) investigates how complex neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and Multiple sclerosis develop. Even though these diseases differ in their clinical manifestations, overlapping mechanisms are involved in their development. For example, the immune system gets activated in dementia, while brain inflammation can cause nerve cells and their supporting Glial cells to degenerate. Using systems neurology as a new interdisciplinary approach, researchers can decipher the shared disease mechanisms of neurovascular, neurodegenerative, and neuroimmunological diseases and on this basis develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
SyNergy has been funded as an Excellence Cluster by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2012.
Multiple sclerosis
encephalomyelitis disseminata
A common neurological disease that predominantly occurs in young adults. For reasons that are still unclear, the body's own cells attack and destroy the myelin sheaths of nerve cells. This can happen throughout the central nervous system, which is why two different multiple sclerosis patients can suffer from very different symptoms. Common symptoms include visual disturbances, numbness in the arms and legs, but also coordination problems, muscle weakness, and bladder problems.
Glial cells
Glia cells are the second largest group of cells in the brain after neurons. For a long time, they were considered inactive elements of the brain, referred to as "nerve cement." Today, we know that the different types of glia cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in the CNS; Schwann cells in the PNS) perform clearly defined tasks in the nervous system. For example, they respond to pathogens, play an important role in nourishing nerve cells, and insulate nerve fibers. They account for slightly more than 50 percent of the brain's cells, compared to neurons.
ZKM | Center for Art and Media
The ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe is a cultural institution that is unique worldwide. Far beyond its function as a museum, the ZKM is dedicated to the research and production of new visual and musical-acoustic technologies. In close cooperation with national and international institutions, it sees itself as a forum for the encounter between science and art, politics and business. By addressing neuroscientific issues in connection with new technologies, www.thebrain.info reflects the ZKM's area of interest in two ways.
As part of the thebrain.info project, ZKM chairs the New Media Advisory Board, which is responsible for the quality of the portal's design and media technology implementation. Special Attention is paid to the technologies used, as well as the possible application of upcoming new technologies and future-oriented use of the web.
Attention
Attention
Attention serves as a tool for consciously perceiving internal and external stimuli. We achieve this by focusing our mental resources on a limited number of stimuli or pieces of information. While some stimuli automatically attract our attention, we can select others in a controlled manner. The brain also unconsciously processes stimuli that are not currently the focus of our attention.
We want to share our enthusiasm for the brain with you. That's why almost all of the information we provide can be used for non-commercial purposes. Beyond scientific findings, we take a look behind the scenes – into the world of brain research and the people who work there. This gives you first-hand information about the brain with a guarantee of professional accuracy. The content on www.dasGehirn.info is reviewed by neuroscience experts. This is unique, as is our 3D model, which takes you on a fascinating journey of discovery through the brain.
The German version of thebrain.info is online since 2011, covers 80+ topics and is still growing. We are updating and translating these topics continuously to catch up with the English version.
A note to advertorial marketers: No, thank you. We are not interested and will not respond to offers.