The brain is a place that creates a lot of confusion, literally! I recently put on my detective cap and went on a mission to find out more about the brain and while doing so, I came across some very surprising and funny facts. I’ve put together a list of 20 interesting facts about the brain that I felt are worthy of sharing, some you may know but many I will bet you don’t. I have also included 3 common myths that are out there that I’d like to dispel once and for all.
Have a quick read and find out what this detective managed to uncover!
20 Interesting Facts About the Brain
1. Your brain keeps developing until your late 40’s.
2. New brain connections are created every time you form a memory.
3. When awake, the human brain produces enough electricity to power a small light bulb.
4. At least 60% of your brain is fat, making it the fattest organ in the body.
5. Alcohol doesn’t make you forget anything. When you get blackout drunk, the brain temporarily loses the ability to create memories.
6. Half our brains can be removed by surgery with no apparent effect on personality.
7. Your brain has 100 billion neurons.
8. Your brain uses 20% of the total oxygen in your body.
9. Have you ever wondered why you can’t tickle yourself? It’s because the brain has the ability to distinguish between unexpected external touch and your own touch.
10. Most people dream about 1-2 hours a night and have an average of 4-7 dreams each night. Yes, you dream whether you remember it or not! The only exception is if you are a snorer as it’s impossible to dream while snoring!
11. Every time you laugh 5 different areas of your brain are activated.
12. Harvard maintains a brain bank where 7000 brains are stored for research purposes.
13. Music lessons have shown to substantially boost brain organization and ability in humans. I have seen this in action with music therapy.
14. The brain is made up of about 75% water.
15. There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain.
16. A newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year.
17. Excessive stress has shown to alter brain cells, brain structure and brain function.
18. You blink about 20,000 times each day. Now that’s a workout for the eyes!
19. Violent homes have the same effect on children’s brains as combat on soldiers.
20. The pathologist who made Einstein’s body stole his brain and kept it in a jar for 20 years.
“I’ve got the brain of a four year old. I’ll bet he was glad to be rid of it.”
Groucho Marx
3 Common Myths
The thought that alcohol kills brain cells isn’t true. Studies show that alcohol impedes the ability of neurotransmitters, the messengers that transmit signals in the body that control behaviors, emotions and thought processes. In essence, alcohol can shut down your brain’s highways!
The left and right side of your brain are co-dependent, meaning that both sides of the brain work together in complex processing the majority of the time. This lays the claim that people either favor their left brain (technical/logical) or right brain (artistic/creative) to rest!
And the one myth that I am most happy to break is that brain damage is always permanent. The brain has the ability to compensate for certain losses and can even generate new cells. This is referred to as neuroplasticity as I described in a previous blog.
Still wanting to debunk a few more myths? Click here to view a 1 minute video so you know how to respond the next time you are asked if it’s true that we only use 10% of our brain?
I’ll bet you will be surprised by the answer!
For those of you who want to learn more about the brain, here are the 3 data sources that I used for this blog where you can view more information:
Data Source 1
Data Source 2
Data Source 3
0
0
0
0
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
It will always be helpful to read articles from other writers
and practice a little something from their sites.
Great article! Now I know that alcohol doesn’t kill brain cells, although I’m not sure inhibition of neurotransmitters is any better! 🙂
I actually made a video recently on my site about similar brain facts – https://www.mindtribememory.com/your-brain-is-amazing
The brain has a lot more power than people realize, all the more reason to keep it safe! Sadly, it can often not be fully appreciated until it becomes damaged in some way.