Everyone has a story. What's yours?
 Linda Thomas
twitter: @TheNewsChick
About Linda
Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

If you have a news tip or story idea, I'd love to hear from you...

To leave a voice message for Linda about any of her stories call toll free 1-855-251-2363

Follow Me on Pinterest


Paul Allen's plan to understand the brain

September 23, 2012 @ 9:58 am

As Paul Allen's Seahawks get ready for Monday Night Football, he's facing a more intricate battle in a laboratory in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. The Allen Institute for Brain Sciences is trying to reverse engineer the brain.

AllenAllen - the 59-year-old Microsoft co-founder, Seahawks owner, and Experience Music Project creator among other things - has put $500 million into figuring out how the brain works, both when it's healthy and when it's suffering from disease.

His first $100 million investment resulted in a gigantic computer map of how genes work in the brains of mice, a tool that other scientists have used to pinpoint genes that may play a role in multiple sclerosis, memory and eating disorders in people.

Another $100 million went to creating a similar map of the human brain, already resulting in new theories about how the brain works.

Although the research started in 2003, it became more personal for Allen earlier this year when his mother, June, died of Alzheimer's.

"Any time you've seen a loved one…," Allen says with his voice trailing off as he talks with a Forbes reporter.

"You see their personality, everything that makes them human, slowly slipping away, and there is nothing you can do about it."

For more, read the Forbes story about why Allen started his brain research institute, what's been accomplished so far, and five surprises from Paul Allen's mind map project.

Understanding the brain, Allen argues, is much like a being a medieval blacksmith trying to reverse engineer a jet plane. It’s not just that you don't understand how the wing attaches to the fuselage or what makes the engine go. You don't even know the basic theory of how air going over a wing creates lift. "Moore's Law-based technology is so much easier than neuroscience," Allen says. “The brain works in such a different way from the way a computer does. The computer is a very regular structure. It’s very uniform. It’s got a bunch of memory, and it’s got a little element that computes bits of memory and combines them with each other and puts them back somewhere. It’s a very simple thing...

In the human brain, designed by evolution, every tiny part is very different from every other tiny part. "It’s hideously complex," Allen says. And it’s going to take "decades and decades" of more research to understand.

Related: Treating the most lonely, orphan cancer

AP file photo

More from Linda Thomas

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (20)


  • Add A Comment

  • Kief Sloberman wrote...
    what an ego...I wonder who designed it
    September 23, 2012 9:51 am
    He's starting with an assumption that is based on his feelings and not on provable fact. If the medieval blacksmith attempted to reverse engineer the airplane with the incorrect assumption that it was designed by evolution, he would be just as big of a fool.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • marc1970 wrote...
    Sounds like.......
    September 23, 2012 2:55 pm
    The Rise of The planet of the apes lol That turned out well
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    So Sloberman ( great name)
    September 23, 2012 3:19 pm
    What's wrong with philanthropy of this nature? It's his money and if he wants to try to help we humans learn more about the complexity of our grey matter, why does that make him a fool? May we should start with your tiny, narrow, jealous brain to find out why you're such a jackass.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Kief Sloberman wrote...
    I didn't say there was anything wrong with philanthropy, fish
    September 23, 2012 3:55 pm
    and he can do what he wants with his money....but if he is starting his research with the assumption that the brain was designed by random chance, then he is overlooking an infinite amount of other possibilities.

    One thing is for sure...he is an expert on reverse engineering. It's how he made his fortune.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Newton wrote...
    Paul should work on why Fluoride is in the drinking water.
    September 23, 2012 5:37 pm
    Its Poison its not even fluoride. Its industry waste filtered through humans. This saves cost for industry and causes cancer to humans. Also dumbs down the population. So you won't ask Questions. Like why do you put poison in are drinking water and food like GMOs. Its up to the Citizens on what is right and wrong. I say call your rep. Get food Labled if it has GMOs in it. Stop putting Fluoride in are drinking water it does not help your teeth anyway and its a fact it is poison and causes cancer. Fluoride industrial waste more toxic then lead the active ingredient in most pesticides linked to bone cancer, brain damage,lower IQs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Skyfan wrote...
    He finally woke up?
    September 23, 2012 5:48 pm
    I guess Paul has finally given up then is sell his MS stock and buying Apple then right?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Tracy White wrote...
    @ Kief - he's an investor, not the scientist
    September 23, 2012 6:09 pm
    While the report makes it sound like he's personally doing the research, he's investing and having people who are dedicated to the field doing the work. I think you can give him some slack for how he tried to describe things...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dori monson fan wrote...
    thank you paul
    September 23, 2012 8:44 pm
    for putting so much of your money into something that is likely to have an impact on everyone at some point - be it a friend, ourselves, or a family member. much appreciated.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • macarde68 wrote...
    new potential
    September 23, 2012 9:03 pm
    Excited to see what the research demonstrates. Thankful Paul Allen chose this as his legacy.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    Just goes to prove
    September 23, 2012 10:47 pm
    No matter how much money someone has, they can still say ignorant things.

    I often cringe when a high paid and well known sports figure either gets in trouble or talks to the media for longer than a post game interview. For the most part, no matter how much they make, they just refuse to better educate themselves and sound relevant.

    So, when I read this quote from a somewhat respected guy with a lot of successful business ventures, I thought" even those WITH an education say the most ignorant things....

    The quote in question:

    "In the human brain, designed by evolution , every tiny part is very different from every other tiny part. "It’s hideously complex," Allen says. And it’s going to take "decades and decades" of more research to understand...." (Bold mine)

    How contradictory! Even an evolutionist with atheistic leanings can see the flaw in this statement.

    Here is an attempt by me to help Paul before his quote went to print:

    Mr. Allen? Sir? Can we talk? No really, I am here to help you before you embarrass yourself further. What? You're too busy? Alright! Please don't blame me, then, when you are corrected by those who profess to be evolutionists and the others who claim to be atheists. I tried to help you before it came to that!

    Like I said.... no matter how much money someone has, they can still say ignorant things. I submit Mr. Paul Allen's quote above as proof......

    On the other hand, ignorance aside, it is kind that he does philanthrophise (yes, my word) some of his money to the hopeful betterment of others. Can't find fault there.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chris Halliday wrote...
    Experience the Music Project
    September 24, 2012 6:14 am
    At least Paul isn't wasting more money on something like that "Experience the Music Project" that he crapped out and left to stink up the view of Seattle. That place is just an abomination. Any investment to increase the betterment of knowledge is fine by me. The really cool thing about studies like these are all the other things they find out along the way. But when the day is done, as far as Mr. Allen is conserned, our opinions and $0.75 will get you a daily newspaper. He does what he wants, when he wants with the kind of money he has.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }