We See Everything Upside-Down Fact
The lens of each eye casts an upside-down image onto the retina. Then your brain takes these two upside-down images at slightly different perspectives (one per eye) and creates a single right-side-up image.
Human Brain
The human brain is the main organ of the human nervous system and is unique due to it’s developed cerebral cortex.
Factoids tagged with "Human Brain"
We Only Use 10% of Our Brain Myth
The average human uses 100% of the brain on a daily basis, and there is no “silent areas” of a normal healthy human brain.
Some People are Born Gay Fact
Science suggests people are born in a range of places in the gay and transgender spectrum, with both nature and nurture playing a role in sexuality.
Liberal’s and Conservative’s Brains Are Different on Average Fact
We know liberals and conservatives think differently, however science suggests differences not only in thinking process, but in brain structure as well.
Memories are Stored in a Single Part of the Brain Myth
Memories aren’t stored in a single part of the brain. Memories are stored in neurons located in different parts of the brain, recalled using other parts, and connected to even more parts via synaptic pathways.
Human Behavior can be Random Fact
Human behavior can be random to some extent, but most behavior is based on prior input, and thus is “deterministic” (meaning not totally random).
Mirror Neurons Fire When Observing and Preforming an Action Fact
Mirror neurons are neurons that “fire” when observing an action and when performing an action, this allows for learning through imitation (“mirroring”).
Smiling and Laughing Have Health Benefits Fact
Smiling and laughing have health benefits, they improve your mood and the moods of those around you. An uplifted mood has been long-linked to good health.
There are Only 5 Senses Myth
Humans have more than 5 senses; we have 5 traditional senses, but over 20 senses in total with non-traditional senses counted. Other organisms have a variety of senses too.
10,000 Hours of Practice Makes Perfect Myth
The “10,000 hours theory”, that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an “outlier”, is a useful concept, but not an exact rule.
You are Always Looking at Your Nose Fact
Your nose is in your field of vision, so you are always looking at your nose. Luckily, our brains filter out sensory information we don’t need.
There are Different Types of Memory Fact
There are three basic types of memory: sensory memory (what we perceive), short-term memory (what we think about), and long-term memory (what we know).
Sleeping on a Problem Helps You Solve it Fact
Sleeping on a problem works. Studies show a positive correlation between sleep and cognitive function. Contemplating a problem and then “sleeping on it” can result in better problem solving
People Can be Truly Unbiased Myth
People can’t be truly unbiased; we are hardwired with bias and create bias constantly as part of the natural neurological process of learning.
Our Brains Can Process More than Language Can Express Fact
The speed and complexity of our thoughts exceed our abilities of language and communication, specifically our ability to convey complex ideas.
Humans Can Have With New Ideas Without Input Myth
Humans can’t have new ideas without prior sensory input. We copy, transform, and combine old ideas to create new ones.
Humans Have About 86 Billion Neurons Fact
Studies show the average human has about 86 billion neurons and roughly as many glial cells, however the exact number of neurons and glial cells remains unknown.
The Average Human Has an Accurate Memory Myth
The average human has a limited short-term memory and a fairly inaccurate long-term memory. This is due to the way we process, encode, and recall memories.
People Can Multitask Effectively Myth
People can’t multitask effectively. Giving simultaneous attention to tasks, or alternating and dividing attention between tasks, reduces the performance of at least one task.
Light Can Affect Mood Fact
Exposure to light in moderation, especially natural sunlight, can have an uplifting effect on mood, while excessive darkness can have the opposite effect.
Language is a System of Communication that Uses Symbolism Fact
Language can be thought of as a system of communication that uses symbols to convey deep meaning. Symbols can be words, images, body language, sounds, etc.
Thoughts Can Create Reality Myth
Our thoughts can shape our inner reality and outward perceptions of things (neuroplasticity), but to affect or create a reality outside ourselves, we must interact with the world and communicate our thoughts.
Thoughts Can “Rewire” Your Brain Fact
Thoughts and other stimuli can essentially “rewire” our brain, strengthening useful synaptic pathways and weakening less used ones, this is called neuroplasticity (AKA learning and memory).
Humans Only Use a Small Part of Their Brain Myth
Evidence suggests that humans use virtually every part of their brain on a daily basis. Some areas function more than others at any given time, but every part of the human brain has a function.
Blog Posts tagged with "Human Brain"
The Dunning–Kruger Effect
The Dunning–Kruger effect is when people over-estimate their competence in something due to a lack of experience in that thing.
The Spheres of Human Understanding
All knowledge, all human understanding, can be said to be of four types: physical (empirical), logical (reason), ethical (philosophy in-action), and metaphysical (pure philosophy).
Giving Names to Concepts
We discuss “giving names to concepts” (defining terms), identifying with terms, be identified by terms, and the implications of this.
Understanding Explicit Bias and Implicit Bias
Explicit bias is conscious bias, implicit bias is subconscious bias. Everyone has natural implicit and explicit bias, it’s part of being human and what shapes our actions and attitudes.
Hardwired Versus Softwired (Brain)
In pop-science, in reference to the brain, you’ll hear the terms “hardwired” and “softwired”, hardwired means genetically programed and softwired means learned.