Phrenicea braincomb "Under Construction."

The editors at Phrenicea are working frantically to translate into a readable presentation the Phrenicea esoterica related to the beehive-like "braincomb" architecture and construction details.

For those that find pleasure discussing the dura, periaqueductal and other matters gray — be sure to visit again.

The task is a daunting one. What today is considered "rocket science" in complexity is child's play when compared to the future's phrenicea science!

We expect that this page when fleshed out will be uninteresting to most. However, if you have an interest in gene expression in the human cortex, brain chemistry, ion channels, electrophysiology, neuropeptides, etc. and find pleasure discussing the dura, trigeminal nerve, periaqueductal and other matters gray — be sure to visit this page again after we remove the "under construction" warnings.

For those seasoned and budding neurobiologists, neuroscientists, brain surgeons etc. that can't contain themselves, we welcome braincomb design suggestions and ideas — with the caveat that all submissions become the property of phrenicea.com. Design and related fodder that is chosen for this web publication will be prominently credited with the submitter's identity if permission is specifically granted.

A fundamental precept to follow is that Phrenicea's technology is based on biology, where

Phrenicea's technology is based on biology copied on a grand scale.

the complexities found in nature are copied on a grand scale. Foremost is the basic design of the Phrenicea braincomb, the complex of individual hexagonal chambers suffused with synthetic cerebrospinal fluid — that human brains ultimately call home after being removed from their "donors'" bony skulls. The braincomb's design is based on the honeycomb conjecture, which postulates that the hexagon grid is the most efficient utilization of a divided three-dimensional space — which nature's bees seem to "know" instinctively.

Initially the braincomb's logical architecture was modeled after the Internet, before the brain was reverse engineered. As neuroscience advanced, Phrenicea was "rewired" to function more illogically — like the human brain itself. The first assignment given to each individual brain "hooked" into Phrenicea is geared towards innate talent as well as the experiences garnered in life.

Other factors to consider, based on the relatively primitive knowledge available early in the 21st century:

• Neuroscientists are successful in overcoming the cellular and molecular mechanisms that had prevented adult human neural stem cells from maturing and integrating into existing neuronal networks, thus paving the way to tailor their functionality to accommodate the unique requirements of braincomb residence.
• The primary site of neurogenesis is within fluid-filled ventricles that wind their way through some of the form-fitting vesicles that support, cushion and nourish the resident brain within its braincomb chamber. Newly formed neurons are peripatetic through migratory pathways in search of their destiny, which depends on the braincomb's immediate functional needs.
• Natural and artificial^{RealityCheck!} growth factors (biochemical signals) can trigger neurogenesis — where multipotent, adult neural stem cells are directed to produce new long-axon neurons insulated by glial cells (oligodendrocytes) — to form the brain-to-brain connections through synaptogenesis.
• The brain's surprising plasticity^{RealityCheck!} and adaptability can lead to remapping, reorganization and "neuronal recycling" — thus allowing various donor brain loci to accommodate inter-brain communication.
• Brainwaves are acknowledged and form from the collective activity of neurons working together.
• Glial cells of each donor brain, which outnumber neurons by almost a factor of ten, are recognized as playing more than just a supporting role (literal and figurative) to neurons. With help from ephaptic transmission and neuromodulators, glia control the flow of information and help to couple neurons into functional groups — not only within donor brains but within the Phrenicea braincomb in toto.
• The signaling molecule Sonic Hedgehog is recruited as the morphogen to assist in the formation of brain nuclei that facilitate engage-enabling communication.
• Each braincomb chamber logically simulates the motor, sensory and bodily-organ feedback loops its resident brain was adapted to and expects — now that it's in its artificial "Home for the Ages."
• An observed (and troubling) phenomenon:
  The ratio of braincomb output (stored brain experiences such as memories, sensations, etc.) to input (new experiences added to the braincomb by those engaging Phrenicea) increases due to the addictive behavior of vicariously living others' experiences via access to memories stored in the braincomb. The dearth of new experiences is an unintended consequence, inhibiting ongoing neurogenesis and neural integration that requires creative rectification.