Science & technology | On the fly

An adult fruit fly brain has been mapped—human brains could follow

For now, it is the most sophisticated connectome ever made

50 largest neurons of the fly brain connectome.
Photograph: Tyler Sloan & Amy Sterling/ FlyWire/Princeton University/Dorkenwald et al., Nature, 2024)

FRUIT FLIES are smart. For a start—the clue is in the name—they can fly. They can also flirt; fight; form complex, long-term memories of their surroundings; and even warn one another about the presence of unseen dangers, such as parasitic wasps.

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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “On the fly”

From the October 5th 2024 edition

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