Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
*Subscribe to Foresight Nanotechnology Seminar Group:* foresight.org/seminar/nanotechnology-seminar-group
Supporting scientists, funders, and institutional partners in advancing molecular machines progress toward atomic precision for applications in energy, medicine, material science, and space development.
*Bobby Kasthuri | Mapping the Brain's Wiring Diagram at Industrial Scale*
Abstract: Understanding how the brain works — and what goes wrong in disease — requires knowing how its 86 billion neurons are connected. For the first time, we have a technology capable of doing this at scale. NeuroPEEM (Photoelectron Emission Microscopy) is a new approach to electron microscopy that images brain tissue over 300× faster and cheaper than existing methods. In this talk, I will describe the science behind connectomics, why scale has been the central unsolved problem, and how NeuroPEEM changes the equation — with implications for neuroscience, psychiatry, and the future of AI.
Bio: Bobby Kasthuri is a neuroscientist, MD-PhD, and one of the founders of the modern field of connectomics. He is a Professor at the University of Chicago, Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and CEO of Meridian Neuro, a deep-tech startup commercializing NeuroPEEM technology for large-scale brain mapping. He has given Congressional briefings on brain mapping and is a Rhodes Scholar with nearly 30 years of experience studying the structure of the brain.
meridian-neuro.com
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*About The Foresight Institute*
The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1986 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support. From molecular nanotechnology, to brain-computer interfaces, space exploration, cryptocommerce, and AI, Foresight gathers leading minds to advance research and accelerate progress toward flourishing futures.
*We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page:* foresight.org/donate
*Visit* https://foresight.org, *subscribe to our channel for more videos or join us here:*
*• Twitter:* twitter.com/foresightinst
*• Facebook:* facebook.com/foresightinst
*• LinkedIn:* linkedin.com/company/foresight-institute
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*Timecodes*
00:00 Mapping Intelligence
01:10 Why Map the Brain?
03:10 AI's Missing Blueprint
05:23 The Scale of the Challenge
06:30 Cajal's Discovery
11:10 Inside a Brain
15:30 Why It Matters
17:20 The Scaling Problem
19:50 A New Microscope
24:00 PEEM in Action
27:50 Building a Brain Fab
30:00 Digital Brain Twins
31:50 Q&A
*Subscribe to Foresight Nanotechnology Seminar Group:* foresight.org/seminar/nanotechnology-seminar-group
Supporting scientists, funders, and institutional partners in advancing molecular machines progress toward atomic precision for applications in energy, medicine, material science, and space development.
*Bobby Kasthuri | Mapping the Brain's Wiring Diagram at Industrial Scale*
Abstract: Understanding how the brain works — and what goes wrong in disease — requires knowing how its 86 billion neurons are connected. For the first time, we have a technology capable of doing this at scale. NeuroPEEM (Photoelectron Emission Microscopy) is a new approach to electron microscopy that images brain tissue over 300× faster and cheaper than existing methods. In this talk, I will describe the science behind connectomics, why scale has been the central unsolved problem, and how NeuroPEEM changes the equation — with implications for neuroscience, psychiatry, and the future of AI.
Bio: Bobby Kasthuri is a neuroscientist, MD-PhD, and one of the founders of the modern field of connectomics. He is a Professor at the University of Chicago, Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and CEO of Meridian Neuro, a deep-tech startup commercializing NeuroPEEM technology for large-scale brain mapping. He has given Congressional briefings on brain mapping and is a Rhodes Scholar with nearly 30 years of experience studying the structure of the brain.
meridian-neuro.com
══════════════════════════════════════
*About The Foresight Institute*
The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1986 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support. From molecular nanotechnology, to brain-computer interfaces, space exploration, cryptocommerce, and AI, Foresight gathers leading minds to advance research and accelerate progress toward flourishing futures.
*We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page:* foresight.org/donate
*Visit* https://foresight.org, *subscribe to our channel for more videos or join us here:*
*• Twitter:* twitter.com/foresightinst
*• Facebook:* facebook.com/foresightinst
*• LinkedIn:* linkedin.com/company/foresight-institute
══════════════════════════════════════
*Timecodes*
00:00 Mapping Intelligence
01:10 Why Map the Brain?
03:10 AI's Missing Blueprint
05:23 The Scale of the Challenge
06:30 Cajal's Discovery
11:10 Inside a Brain
15:30 Why It Matters
17:20 The Scaling Problem
19:50 A New Microscope
24:00 PEEM in Action
27:50 Building a Brain Fab
30:00 Digital Brain Twins
31:50 Q&A
