
“Nueronic” is a sculptural representation of the neural network at the basis of all human experience – thought, emotion and memory. This network is the highest degree of order and complexity found in the known Universe with an equal degree of beauty. There are as many neurons in the brain as there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy, however they have an order that is beyond comprehension.
The human brain has a huge number of synapses. Each of the 10^11 (one hundred billion) neurons has on average 7,000 synaptic connections to other neurons. It has been estimated that the brain of a three-year-old child has about 10^15 synapses (1 quadrillion). Estimates vary for an adult, ranging from 10^14 to 5 x 10^14 synapses (100 to 500 trillion). However, this does not even scratch the surface of the number of possible pathways created by this network, “…on the order of ten followed by millions of zeros. (There are about ten followed by eighty zeros’ worth of positively charged particles in the whole universe!)” Gerald M. Edelman, Bright Air, Brilliant Fire.This network is dynamic is several interesting ways. The structure of the network itself i.e. the pathways and relationships of the neurons change over time. In addition, electrical activity and excitation is in constant flux across the brain.