As a benchmark for the importance of reverse engineering the brain, and the time needed to do it, we discussed how quickly the human genome project was completed. The human genome project was expected to be completed in 2090 and instead was finished in 2003. That's difference of 87 years. This figure also gives us an idea of how much we underestimate the future.
The human genome project was also a global effort by several advanced countries. This also shows how large the flat factor plays into how we estimate, or underestimate, the future to be. Outside of the human genome, the project also focused on: E. coli, the fruit fly, and the lab mouse. These three projects play a large role in understanding the human genome and other scientific areas of humanity.
However, the human genome only is complete in general terms. There are several specific areas of the human genome, such as telomeres, that are still incomplete. As of today, the best estimate for how complete the human genome is 92.3%. The most interesting fact is that the human genome contains roughly twice as much DNA as the roundworm, and almost the same amount as mice. This data will lead us to create very important cures as we obtain the technology to practically use it.
In part because of the human genome project, it is an exciting time in the healthcare industry. One can only hope that the benefits of such research aren't monetized to the point of inaccessibility to many who need them. One example of this is the copyrighting of genetic code.
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