DID YOU KNOW?
The human brain is one of the most delicate organ in the human body owing to it’s high vulnerability and suspectibility to injury. It also possess an amazing capacity for memory.
Jeff Lichtman, a neuroscientist at Harvard University, who attempted to index the human brain lost count and concluded that the average adult human brain can potentially store about 2.5 petabytes of information which is roughly the equivalent of 3 million hours of YouTube videos! 😮
This vast capacity is what enables us to acquire, store, and recall information. It also helps us to perform various cognitive functions such as perception, attention, language, reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity.
Here are ten intriguing facts you might not know but I've discovered about the human brain from my study in the past years.
1. The average adult human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms which is approximately the size of two clenched fists. In the imperial system of units, it weighs about 3 pounds and for this reason, many psychologists refer to it as the "3-lb tool."
2. The human brain cannot feel pain because it has no pain receptors. Isn't it amazing that the organ that processes pain and control the entire nervous system itself doesn't feel pain? You should give a WOW on that! 😮
3. The human brain comprises about 86 billion neurons connected by more than 100 trillion synapses. The neurons and synapses are specialized make-ups that allows the brain to receive stimuli, transmit information, and form intricate networks for communication. I'm like, all of these inside my brain? 😏
4. The human brain generates electrical impulses known as brain waves. The brain waves are quantized as electrical voltages enough to keep a low-wattage light bulb fully lit. So when you have an "eureka moment" or say “that’s a bright idea,” your statement could be literally as well as figuratively true! 😆
5. The human brain exhibits neuroplastic behavior. This means that it start developing almost immediately after conception and doesn't stop to regenerate throughout a person's life. This ability also allows it to change, form new connections and generate new neurons continuously.
6. The brain neurons transmit impulses at high speeds up to 268 miles per hour (or 432 kilometers per hour). This allows for rapid processing for perception, thinking, decision-making and reactions to spontaneous events.
7. Despite representing only about 2% of the total body's weight, the human brain consumes around 20% of the total oxygen and glucose supply owing to its high metabolic activity.
8. The outer layer of the brain is known as the cortex. It is highly folded to increase the brain's surface area and establish more connections between neurons. The extent of this folding is majorly what determines the level of our intelligence and our ability to perform complex cognitive functions like reasoning and critical thinking.
9. Much of the brain’s processing occurs at the subconscious and unconscious level. This means that the majority of information processing happens reflexly beneath the surface. This is why our thoughts are the major influence on our behaviors and reactions to the external world.
10. Humans are considered as the most intelligent living organisms on earth owing to the complexity of our brain. Also, humans have the ability to think and react to situations, whereas, animals cannot think, they only react to situations.
This is not some egoistic showoff but understanding how your brain functions will help you to harness its full potential. Regardless of how ill you perceive the ability of your brain, you can train it to absorb and assimilate information more efficiently. I’ll share some tips with you in the upcoming contents.
Subscribe to my newsletter and follow here for more contents.
