EyeWire Explore is the viewing room attached to a citizen-science game about mapping neurons. EyeWire's own guide describes a three-dimensional cell overview that can be rotated and zoomed, with a control for moving among reconstructed cells.
What is EyeWire Explore?
This is a scientific specimen case with unusually lively contents. EyeWire turns tiny pieces of electron-microscope imagery into a shared reconstruction task, then lets the resulting neurons emerge as branching three-dimensional forms. The Explore side is the gentler entry point: study the shape, move around it, and trade one mapped cell for another instead of beginning with a lecture on connectomics. The pretty branching structures are not decorative stand-ins. Peer-reviewed work in Nature and Cell documents how EyeWire contributions fed real studies of retinal wiring, visual processing, and neuron classification.
What you can do there
- Inspect reconstructed neurons in three dimensions
- Switch among mapped cells
Why we picked it
EyeWire makes the payoff of citizen science visible. A neuron assembled from many small judgments becomes something you can inspect as an object, while the published research keeps the neon branches connected to a serious purpose. It is a rare science site where the visual hook and the underlying work reinforce each other.
How to get the most from it
Begin with one finished cell and follow a branch away from the body before zooming into its finer forks. Rotate slowly so overlapping limbs separate, then use the documented cell chooser to compare silhouettes. If the view makes you want to help build the next one, continue into EyeWire's training and contribution game.
Good to know
Plan on a modern desktop browser. EyeWire's older support notes describe a WebGL-dependent, desktop-first interface, while current phone, tablet, signup, audio, and accessibility behavior remain uncertain. The project begins with animal retinal data, not a scan of a human brain.
Who made it, and when?
Seung Lab is the credited creator or organization. The earliest supported launch date we found is 2012.
Creator’s official page Open EyeWire ExploreMore like this
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