3D Printing a Brain (2021)

Jonathan Raines, a creative technologist, documented his 2021 project to 3D-print a human brain based on open-source MRI data. The core challenge: standard 3D printers create solid objects, but a real brain is a folded surface (the cortex) surrounding deeper structures. Raines had to convert the cortical surface mesh—a thin, crumpled sheet—into a printable geometry. He describes his workflow: sourcing a publicly available brain scan from the NIH (National Institutes of Health), extracting the cortical surface using specialized neuroimaging tools (FreeSurfer), and then processing the mesh in Blender (3D modeling software) to thicken the paper-thin cortex so it could physically print without collapsing. The result is a tangible, palm-sized model that reveals the brain's complex folding (gyri and sulci) in a way flat images cannot. The project illustrates the intersection of open science data, consumer 3D printing, and creative problem-solving in digital fabrication.