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Scientists at Harvard University and MIT, undaunted by the vast scope of the project, have undertaken to map the circuitry of the human brain. They're working in a field called connectomics, whose new knowledge will help researchers understand the neural mechanisms behind mental illness, cognitive development, among other medical questions.

Without power
About 97,000 homes and businesses in Northern California and the Central Valley were still without power Monday, down from more than 215,000 earlier Sunday.

National Weather Service meteorologist Angus Barkhuff said some parts of Northern California would get a reprieve from the rain and snow on Monday. But in the mountains, "there's a chance of snow and snow showers all the way through Thursday," he said.

The death toll included eight passengers of charter bus that rolled off an icy road in far southeastern Utah on Sunday, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Utility officials warned against using gas-powered portable heating sources inside, saying it was extremely dangerous. A house fire Saturday in Sacramento was thought to be caused by candles being used to light the home during the power outage.

Canal failure
Meantime, residents who fled nearly 300 homes flooded when a canal's earthen bank collapsed in Fernley, Nev., hoped to return Monday, but they faced the damage left by the wave of frigid water that surged through the town.

The irrigation canal failure released a wave of frigid water into the town early Saturday. The canal was temporarily repaired by late in the day, but as much as a square mile  of the town was still under water at least 2 feet deep Sunday as ice impeded drainage.

"We don't know what we're going to do next," said Silvia Cansdales, a 32-year-old mother of three whose family — like most in town — did not have flood insurance. "I don't even want to think about what we're going to return to."

No injuries were reported in the town of 20,000 people about 30 miles

CONEJOS, Colo. - Six snowmobilers missing in the snowy Colorado mountains called for help Monday and reported they were hungry but alive, authorities said.

Crews were on their way to meet the six, who are all from New Mexico, said Barbara Smith, a spokeswoman for the Conejos County Sheriff's Department.

The snowmobilers called 911 from an isolated and snowbound train station and said they were cold but otherwise all right, Smith said. 
The snowmobilers, two couples and two teenagers, had been listed as missing since Friday when a fierce storm hit the western United States. At least 11 deaths were blamed on the bad weather.

east of Reno.