About The Cerebral Institute of Discovery

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The Cerebral Institute of Discovery was founded in August, 1998 by Michelle and Richard Law. The site went online in November, 1998 and has had a steadily increasing number of visitors since. The main page of the site was visited over 17,000 times in the first year. Traffic has doubled every year since and we're proud to be serving more than 1000 pages each day as of April, 2001.

The Institute arose out of years of research to find help for our son who was born with cerebral palsy. Both of us have been interested in the function and capabilities of the brain since childhood. Our experience in researching cerebral palsy--its causes, effects, and treatments--was a natural fit with our lifelong interest.

The site was started in an effort to freely disseminate the volumes of resources and information that we have collected over the years and to provide a forum for ongoing discussion in all neuro-related fields. Our personal aim for the Institute is to make it the most useful research point on the web for any neuro* information, to provide a conduit between the professional and private communities, and to reach those families who most need this kind of information.

The network itself consists of a heterogeneous, 4-8 machine, ethernet network over a cable connection to the outside world. The primary servers are running Solaris 7 x86. Several old Windows machines serve as our personal desktop boxes. We began reaching our peak bandwidth (128k ISDN) near the end of the year 2000 and were forced to increase the bandwidth of our incoming line to cable (800/200) in December, 2001. As of Summer, 2002, our network is fully depreciated and we are in desparate need of new equipment.

Michelle holds a BA in English and has over 10 years' experience in research, writing, and editing. Her determination and drive to help their son have yielded reams of information that is inaccessible to the majority, especially those without access to the net. Her ability to recognize and synthesize information makes this site what it is. Michelle's primary neuro interests are cerebral palsy and its treatments, brain development and physiology, and how brain chemistry and attitude affect our health and well being.

Richard holds a BS in Computer Science and has 15 years of technical expertise in computer systems. He keeps this site and its associated network running. He also brings 5 years of experience in "adapting" adaptive equipment to make it more useful for their son. Richard's neuroscience studies include neuropharmacology, language and communication, and some of the more esoteric aspects such as parapsychology and metaprogramming.

The Institute Needs Your Help!
The services CID provides are, and will always be, free of charge. We feel very strongly that the internet should be freely accessible to the global society. However, without the support of generous benefactors, the scope and continued operation of this site are severely limited.

The connection and equipment for this site cost approximately $150/month. We are reaching the capacity of our internet connection and our machines are wearing out. During years 2000 and 2001, we raised less than $100, primarily through Amazon referrals. The two of us combined spend an average of some 60-120 hours each month doing further research and updating the site. Any funds we receive above the cost of current operations will be directly reinvested into further research (journal subscriptions, project funding, etc.) and site development.

If we've helped you find needed information or learn something new or you simply believe in what we're doing, please consider making a donation. Please make checks or money orders payable to "Cerebral Institute of Discovery". Feel free to write for further information.

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    Cerebral Institute of Discovery
  335 Valley Hill Rd   
  Stockbridge, GA 30281   

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Monday, 12-Apr-2004 07:29:35 EDT

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