For around 90 minutes each day, the electrodes were also stimulated to map the structure of the brain so as to identify language centres and other vulnerable areas.

ECONOMIST: Out-of-body experiences

In just three weeks this fall, thousands of people playing the free downloadable game helped map the structure of an enzyme that could fight HIV and AIDS. Scientists at the University of Washington created Fold-it to turn research about protein folding into a game, dishing up puzzles made up of spirals and clumps that represent amino acids.

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In some projects, this may be the intended structure, but often the map reveals unexpected features.

ECONOMIST: Network collaborations

The IBM chip uses the structure of the human brain as map for the design of the circuits in their chip.

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The RPG element comes into play because only certain characters, based on class structure, can unlock certain areas of the map.

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San Diego is Pfizer's center for structure-based drug design, which uses computers to map disease-causing proteins and suggests ways to thwart them.

FORBES: Regions

Soon after reading about this map, however, he realised that the structure of E8 could be used to describe fully the laws of physics.

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In 2012, the European Science Foundation launched its Farquest programme, aiming to map out a pan-European quantum research structure in which quantum biology plays a big role.

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Both it and the Times version also offer in their introductions some handy potted wisdom on the structure of the globe, the growth of cities, and other matters likely to pop into map-readers' minds.

ECONOMIST: New atlases