Humans are inherently curious. We have journeyed into space and have traveled to the bottom of our deepest oceans. Yet no one has ever explained why man or woman “must explore.” What is it that sparks our curiosity? Are we hard-wired for exploration? Somewhere in the brain’s compact architecture, we make the decision to go forth and explore.

The NEURODOME project is a planetarium show that tries to answer these questions. Combining planetarium production technology with high-resolution brain imaging techniques, we will create dome-format animations that examine what it is about the brain that drives us to journey into the unknown. Seamlessly interspersed with space scenes, the NEURODOME planetarium show will zoom through the brain in the context of cutting edge of astronomical research. This project will present our most current portraits of neurons, networks, and regions of the brain responsible for exploratory behavior.