From Cosmos to Connectomes: The Evolution of Data-Intensive Science
In their recent article in Neuron, “From Cosmos to Connectomes: The Evolution of Data-Intensive Science” IDIES Affiliates Randal Burns and Joshua T. Vogelstein, and IDIES Director Alexander Szalay, discuss how the successful implementation of computational connectomics will drastically reduce the time between idea and discovery. The article recounts the evolution of data-intensive science from its roots in observational astronomy to its applications in modern connectomics.
By observing that data-analysis computing models are optimized for different types of data, and that optimal modeling techniques are arrived at through both design and experience, they propose that cloud computing must become the preeminent model to perform data-intensive analysis. With the Sloan Digital Sky Survey as a basis for comparison, Burns and his coauthors identify the top challenges the Open Connectome Project faces: scalability, extensibility, and outreach.
Randal Burns, Joshua T. Vogelstein, Alexander S. Szalay, From Cosmos to Connectomes: The Evolution of Data-Intensive Science, Neuron, Volume 83, Issue 6, 17 September 2014, Pages 1249-1252, ISSN 0896-6273, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2014.08.045 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627314007466).
