<p>The most complicated object we know of in the universe sits right inside your head. Thanks to its billions of neurons and trillions of synaptic links, the brain is the most densely ramified and connected object known to exist. </p> <p>The organ that orchestrates our every movement, thought, and emotion is celebrated during Brain Awareness Week, an international campaign geared toward highlighting the importance of research and education. It acts as a reminder of the remarkable capabilities and mysteries of the brain.</p> <h2>Top 7 brainiest facts about your noggin</h2> <h3>1. Neuroplasticity</h3> <p>Once upon a time, we thought that the brain was a fixed and unchanging object; whatever way it’s wired, that’s the way it’ll stay. The discovery of neuroplasticity transformed our understanding of the brain’s adaptability, and we now know that the brain can reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.</p> <p><strong>What does this mean?</strong> Through learning and experience, your brain can continually refine itself; for example, learning an instrument will forge new neural connections. If you’re traveling in a foreign country, figuring out phrases and applying them while navigating interactions with the locals can bolster new pathways in the brain. Learning to ride a bike or drive a car are also examples of neuroplasticity in action.</p> <p><strong>Michael Phelps. </strong>The Olympic star was trained to visualize a mental image of a swimming race every day when he wakes up and then again when he goes to sleep. The reasoning is that you can improve your performance through visualizations because action and imagination light up the same areas of the brain, and lots of athletes use this technique with tremendous success.</p> <figure><img alt="" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/NAlpy0UNAr/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Man Swimming with Visible Skeleton and Lungs <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>London taxi drivers. </strong>The lack of a grid system in English cities means that you need to have a bloody good memory to work as a cab driver. In London, with its ancient, spidery streets containing many nooks and crannies, cabbies constantly use complex spatial information as they navigate new and unknown roads. </p> <p>Research has shown that memorizing 25,000 city streets like these cabbies do will balloon your hippocampus. To qualify as a London cabbie, you have to pass a tough exam called “The Knowledge”, and only 50% of applicants manage to pass.</p> <p><strong>Recovery and bad habits. </strong>Neuroplasticity is key to recovering from brain damage caused by a stroke. By forming new connections, a stroke-damaged brain may recover at least some functionality over time. Rewiring your brain through neuroplasticity is also part of how you break bad habits like smoking or overeating.</p> <h3>2. Connections are everything</h3> <p>The brain is an insanely busy network of neurons, the cells that transmit information. You’ve got around 86 billion neurons at work upstairs, and each one of these guys forms thousands of connections with other neurons.</p> <p>These connections (known as synapses) go into the trillions, forming a vast and intricate communication system that allows you to process information at incredible speed.</p> <figure><img alt="3D visualizations of human neurons, axons, and dendrites" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/KAM71KULd7/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>3D Visualizations of Human Neurons, Axons, and Dendrites <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <h3>3. Energy consumption</h3> <p>Unsurprisingly, the bustling hive of neuronal workers need a heck of a lot of power to perform. The brain takes up only 2% of your bodyweight, but it consumes a much greater proportion of your energy stores.</p> <p>The brain devours a good 20% of the body’s oxygen and glucose supplies, which demonstrates the constant activity of this organ and the need for a nutritious diet to adequately feed it.</p> <h3>4. Talking through electricity</h3> <p>To operate at lightning speed, you need to use lightning…sort of. Neurons talk to each other through firing electrical impulses, which transmit info to neighboring neurons. Synchronized firing is the basis of brain waves, the rhythmic patterns of electrical activity that we measure during tests like an EEG.</p> <figure><img alt="" height="354" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/bNq42wh7oK/original.jpg" width="726" /> <figcaption>Your Brain Is Electric <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Brain waves produce different frequencies depending on your conscious state. During the relaxation of meditation, you get these chill alpha waves bouncing around the place, while rapid beta waves are observable when your attention is focused.</p> <h3>5. Have you tried turning it on and off again?</h3> <p>When you’re tired, your body wants you to lie down and doze off for good reason. While you’re off dreaming, your brain is busy consolidating memories, processing information, and sweeping away toxic byproducts that have accumulated throughout the day.</p> <p>Being chronically deprived of sleep is torture, and its effects on the brain are evident through impaired attention and memory and poor decision-making skills. Quality sleep is essential for thinking clearly, remaining alert, and sustaining attention.</p> <h3>6. Emotional processing hub</h3> <p>The brain is well known as an information-processing center, but it’s also vital in processing emotions. A section of the brain known as the limbic system acts as a network for regulating emotions, motivation, and memory formation. </p> <p>The intricate dance between the cognitive and emotional networks provides the blueprint for our perceptions, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships.</p> <h3>7. Everyone’s brain is unique</h3> <p>Just like how fingerprints are unique, the pattern of connections in each person’s brain is also distinct. The “connectome” (your neuronal fingerprint) reflects the unique experiences, genetics, and environments that have composed your life. It is sometimes referred to as a “wiring diagram” of the molecular links between neurons.</p> <p>Advances in neuroimaging have allowed us to gain greater insight into the connectome. Researchers can now map it out and observe brain development, function, and individual differences.</p> <h2>More on the Brain</h2><ul><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/mqbvkz6cem-brain-basics" target="_blank">Brain Basics: Know Your Brain</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/wxby8661zj-neuroplasticity" target="_blank">Neuroplasticity (Brain Adaptability)</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/jbrdoqzc2w-neurons" target="_blank">Neurons: The Brain's Messengers</a></li></ul>