We're all fascinated by our brains. How does a two-pound lump of cells allow us to do so much? It's one of the most complex things in the universe, but also one of the hardest to understand. We still don't know exactly how it works or how much control we have over it. But here are some interesting facts about our brains that might surprise you:
Brain cells can improve their connections even in adulthood.
Did you know that brain cells can improve their connections even in adulthood?
As we grow and learn, our brains create new neurons (nerve cells) and increase the strength of existing ones. This process allows us to remember things better, learn new skills more easily, adapt to situations quickly--and even stay mentally sharp as we get older!
The brain's white matter is just as important as its grey matter.
White matter is the brain's communication network, made up of axons and glial cells. The white matter connects different parts of the brain together and allows them to work together as one unit. It's responsible for cognitive function, including memory, learning and thinking skills.
White matter grows throughout our lives as we learn new things and make new connections between neurons in our brains--but it can also be damaged by injury or disease. For example:
If someone has multiple sclerosis (MS), they may experience loss of vision due to damage to their optic nerves; this damage is caused by inflammation that affects both grey matter and white matter within those nerves
We have some control over the speed of our brain waves.
Your brain waves are measured in Hz (hertz), which is the number of times your brain vibrates per second. The higher the Hz, the faster your brain is vibrating.
Alpha waves are associated with relaxation and meditation and are considered to be the fastest type of wave, at between 8-12Hz. Beta waves are associated with alertness and focus, and they range from 12-30Hz. Gamma waves represent higher levels of consciousness such as insight or creativity--they're slower than alpha but faster than beta, at around 25-40Hz
The human brain can process more than 11 million bits of information every second, but we are only consciously aware of about 40.
The human brain can process more than 11 million bits of information every second, but we are only consciously aware of about 40. That means that the rest of the data is being processed subconsciously, which is why it's so hard to figure out exactly how our brains work. The brain is a powerful tool and an amazing organ--but its mysteries remain unsolved by science.
We are all born with between 100,000 and 200,000 thoughts per day, and most of them go unspoken.
While you may think that your brain is only active when you're awake, this isn't the case. Your brain has been working even when you've been asleep, and it never stops thinking.
The human brain has about 100 billion neurons (nerve cells), which means that there are more than enough connections between them for us to create an estimated 10^15 (1 followed by 15 zeroes) thoughts per second! This number is so large that it's hard for us to comprehend what this means--but let me put it into perspective: if each thought were a microsecond long (one millionth of a second), then the average person would experience 1 million thoughts every second! It's safe to say that we don't pay attention to all these fleeting thoughts; most go unspoken or get lost in our subconscious minds as we focus on other tasks such as driving or listening attentively during meetings at work.
Our brains make up only 2% of our body mass, yet they require 20% of our body's energy.
You might have heard that the brain is a greedy organ, but did you know it's also one of the most energy-hungry?
The brain uses 20% of our body's energy supply, which makes sense when you consider how much work it does. It sends and receives signals from every part of your body and controls every action and thought process. Your heart only beats about 72 times per minute; your lungs breathe in about 15 liters (or 4 gallons) of air per minute; yet your brain fires off 100 billion neurons at any given moment! This means that each second, billions upon billions of signals are traveling through those neurons--and each signal requires some amount of energy for processing. If a single neuron were able to perform these calculations on its own without help from other cells or systems within its network (which it can't), then we would expect this process to require an enormous amount more power than what we see in reality--the equivalent of hundreds if not thousands more watts per square meter than what humans typically use today.*
The more we understand about the brain, the more we realize it can do!
The more we understand about the brain, the more we realize it can do!
The brain is amazing. It's always learning, changing and evolving. The more you use your brain for something new (like learning a language or playing an instrument), the more connections are made in that area of your brain--and those connections are permanent! So if you want to learn something new, get started now!
So, the next time someone asks you what's up with your brain, you can tell them it's a powerful organ that has some amazing capabilities. You can even tell them that it's so powerful that we still don't fully understand how it works! And if they're not convinced by your argument? Then just give them one last piece of evidence: "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings--here let me help you with that."
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