As these links criss-cross one another across a region, these simple measures can be mathematically picked apart to yield a map of the rainfall at a given moment.

BBC: Rain tracked with mobile network

But for those who want to overweight Latin America and like the highest yield piece of real estate on the map, the pickings are slim.

FORBES: Latin America's Next Big Thing

Javier Provencio, a neurologist who specializes in brain injuries at the Cleveland Clinic, thinks the project will yield benefits but is unlikely to provide a complete map of the brain.

WSJ: Obama Gives Details of Brain-Research Project