This 2021 article published by MIT Technology Review examines the ambitious goals of major neuroscience initiatives, notably the BRAIN Initiative and the Human Brain Project, which aimed to map and simulate the human brain’s complex workings. Despite significant investment and initial enthusiasm, the article reveals that both projects have struggled to deliver on their lofty promises, with critics questioning their feasibility and impact. Over the past decade, while some progress has been made in developing new tools and technologies for brain research, the overarching goal of fully understanding the brain and consciousness remains elusive.

Editor’s Note: This article may be three years old, but the challenges it highlighted then remain true today [see Why Materialism Cannot Explain Consciousness and Roger Penrose: Consciousness Is Beyond Computable Physics. Also read Is Consciousness Part of the Fabric of the Universe?].

This article serves as a reality check for those of us who get swept up in the hype of “big science” projects promising to crack the code of the human brain. While the ambition and investment are admirable, the sobering truth is that the brain is an infinitely complex organ, and our understanding of its inner workings is still in its infancy and, perhaps, will remain so for a long time.

Even with modern science’s advanced tools and technologies, it will no longer progress in understanding human consciousness because it continues to deny the non-physical reality. The science of human consciousness is an ongoing discovery process, not a race to the finish line. The key to fully appreciating the results of neuroscience is to maintain a sense of wonder and humility in the face of the brain’s mysteries and approach neuroscience with a nuanced, multidisciplinary perspective. Perhaps even then, we might fail to unlock the secrets of the mind and consciousness, but our study will help us better appreciate the powers that have shaped the mysterious human brain.