CT produces a volume of data which can be manipulated, through a process known as "windowing", in order to demonstrate various bodily structures based on their ability to block the X-ray beam. Although historically the images generated were in the axial or transverse plane, orthogonal to the long axis of the body, modern scanners allow this volume of data to be reformatted in various planes or even as volumetric (3D) representations of structures. Although most common in medicine, CT is also used in other fields, such as nondestructive materials testing. Another example is archaeological uses such as imaging the contents of sarcophagi or the DigiMorph project at the University of Texas at Austin which uses a CT scanner to study biological and paleontological specimens.

Usage of CT has increased dramatically over the last two decades. An estimated 72 million scans were performed in the United States in 2007.

Noun

Wikipedia brain (plural brains)

1. The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
2. An intelligent person.

   He was a total brain.

3. (English pluralia tantum) A person who provides the intelligence required for something.

   He is the brains behind the scheme.

4. (in plural) Intellect.

   He has a lot of brains.

   • 2008 Quaker Action (magazine) Rights trampled in rush to deport immigrant workers, Fall 2008, Vol. 89, No. 3, p. 8:

     "We provided a lot of brains and a lot of heart to the response when it was needed," says Sandra Sanchez, director of AFSC's Immigrants' Voice Program in Des Moines.

5. By analogy with a human brain, the part of a machine or computer that performs calculations.

   The computer's brain is capable of millions of calculations a second.

• See also Wikisaurus:brain
• See also Wikisaurus:genius