In 2018, Alzheimer and other dementias will cost the United States over $277 BILLION. This is projected to rise to $1.1 TRILLION by 2050.
"Big problems demand big solutions. The human brain contains nearly 100 billion neurons of at least a thousand distinct varieties. Those nerve cells make at least 100 trillion connections. No single discovery, no one researcher, will be able to crack the brain's code. The next generation of neuroscience breakthroughs will emerge from collaboration among a range of disciplines, from physics and biology to nanoscience, computer science and engineering. All hands must be on deck." -By PAUL G. ALLEN And FRANCIS S. COLLINS, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2013