From a physiological point of view, the human brain is the main organ of the central nervous system (CNS) This fragile organ is located wrapped by the bones of the skull, which protect it from mechanical stress and environmental inclemencies, and weighs only about 1.4 kilograms. Thanks to this cellular conglomerate, human beings are able to define themselves as members of a species, society and irreplaceable autonomous individuals.
We have already explored brain physiology on multiple occasions, from both an anatomical and a functional point of view.The brain is a true work of art on an evolutionary level and, therefore, there is no shortage of words to describe the complex underlying processes that take place here.
Beyond anatomy, psychology and neuroscience classes, today we are even more informative, since many structures of our body contain curious data that, if they are not dedicated to their own space, can be lost between technicalities and forget quickly. Based on the premises of interest and simplicity, Today we show you 20 curious facts about the human mind
The most amazing and fascinating facts about our mind
We are going to try to address this issue at both anatomical and subjective/psychological levels. Therefore, we present 20 curious facts about the human mind of great interest to scientists and psychologists alike.
one. The human brain is larger in men on average
As we have said, the human brain weighs on average about 1.4 kilograms, reporting important variations between individuals. The size (volume) is 1,130 cubic centimeters in women, while in men the figure rises to 1,260 cubic centimeters
Given the same height and body surface area, the brain of men is, on average, about 100 grams heavier than that of women. The most macho side of neuroscience has historically tried to use this data as proof that the cognitive system of men is "more developed". Unsurprisingly, this postulation has never been proven: cognitive ability depends on the individual, not on its biological determination.
2. Communication between neurons is really fast
The synapse is defined as a functional approximation between neurons that explains the transmission of information throughout our body.Thanks to the morphology of neurons and their isolation from the rest of the extracellular environment (by myelin sheaths), the nerve impulse reaches the dizzying speed of 120 meters/second
3. Each neuron presents an unimaginable connective tree
Neurons are made up of 3 main parts: soma (body), dendrites, and axon (tail). The dendrites that protrude from the soma give the neural element a characteristic star-shaped appearance, but also allow it to communicate with many, many cells at once. As proof of this, the following figure: one neuron in our body can connect with 50,000 others
4. The brain is a caloric burning center
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is defined as the amount of energy necessary for the body to remain in time without making any physical effort, that is, in absolute rest.You will be surprised to learn that the brain consumes 20% of the body's glucose and oxygen, which translates into about 350 kilocalories per day. Many physical exercises of considerable duration do not burn that much energy!
5. The brain is 60% fat
This curious fact about the human mind goes hand in hand with the previous one. Due to its great daily energy demand, the brain requires constant close lipid availability and, therefore, it is the organ with the highest percentage of fat in our entire body.
6. Adult neurogenesis exists
Neurogenesis in adults has recently been demonstrated, and this represents a true revolution for neuroscience. It was previously believed that human neurons remained unchanged after development ceased (or at most could be lost through injury), but this has been found not to be the case. not like that.
In any case, it should be noted that neurogenesis in adult mammals has been detected only in two areas of the brain: the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the the lateral ventricles.
7. The brain has an inconceivable number of neurons
Recent studies estimate that our brain houses some 86,000 million neurons. Each of them processes its own information that it then sends to other cellular bodies, from which it also receives news.
8. The brain remains a mystery
The brain has not yet been fully understood and research into its anatomy and functionality continues. Every day multiple scientific publications are made available to the public that discuss, evaluate and record new knowledge about our brain structure and its relationship with the rest of the body.
9. We don't use only 10% of our brain
The “10% brain” myth is very popular, but it is not supported by any physiological basis. According to neuroscientists, if 90% of the brain were not used during basic tasks, most brain injuries would not result in completely disabling processes for the patient. As you know, this is not true in almost any scenario.
10. The human brain can generate 23 watts
Due to the electrical connections between neurons in the brain, it is estimated that the brain generates up to 23 watts of electrical current. This energy is enough to light, by itself, some types of light bulbs.
eleven. Consciousness and consciousness are not the same
We leave the physiological terrain a bit and delve into more subjective concepts, since we address what is capable of generating the brain structure that we have described in the previous points about our personality and behavior.To whet your appetite, did you know that the term consciousness and consciousness are not the same?
Consciousness is the physiological state of wakefulness, that is, the individual capacity to recognize oneself as an entity of its own and differentiated from the environment. On the other hand, conscience refers to the ability to discern events in a state of consciousness based on a subjective and own charge, such as morality and ethics taught at a social level. A person loses consciousness when she passes out, while the individual acts based on her consciousness, that is, what he subjectively believes to be good or bad.
12. Human beings articulate an enormous capacity of words per day
It is estimated that women articulate about 20,000 words a day, while men have a much lower rate of about 7,000. In any case, both are astronomical figures that show the social potential of the human being.
13. Human beings are happier in company
Studies have shown that people who are married or who share a life with a sexually affective partner are happier than those who live alone, have been divorced or have lost a loved one to illness. Of course, these data reflect the average, since there are many people who are happy alone and do not require extensive company.
14. Negative bias could be an evolutionary holdover
The negative bias stems from a simple premise: when faced with two events of the same intensity, the most negative one stands out disproportionately over the neutral/positive one. This makes many people extremely pessimistic, as they unconsciously focus much more on the bad facts than the good ones.
Interestingly, this behavior could have certain uses in nature. If a mammal perceives a negative stimulus more intensely, it is much more likely to flee from it on other occasions, by remembering it perfectly.Thus, the negativity bias in humans could be a vestigial characteristic inherited from our ancestors
fifteen. Communication in humans lies not only in the word
There is a very famous postulation that has been used historically to explain communication in humans. This is known as the “7%-38%-55% rule”. According to this theory, 55% of communication in humans is produced by non-verbal language, 7% is contained in words and 38% is defined by the tone of the speaker. While this theory has not come without its many detractors, it is still interesting.
16. Knowledge gives us happiness
Multiple studies have shown that educational level and individual knowledge are often positively correlated with greater happiness. In any case, this could be due to the fact that a higher student degree implies a higher income rate in many cases, which could really explain this postulation.
17. Concentration time in humans varies by age
Anyone who has worked with children will suspect this fun fact about the human mind, but it never hurts to put experiences into numerical perspective. A one-year-old child spends an average of 4 to 10 minutes concentrating, while a 10-year-old can concentrate for up to 50 minutes
18. Repetition is necessary for learning
Research estimates that a student must face the same word an average of 17 times to learn it. We are not referring only to the phonetics of the word, but to its meaning and what it implies, that is, the ability to apply it beyond the proposed concept.
19. Constant thinking
Thought in the human being is continuous and constant, because it defines us as individual entities and at the same time as a social collective.Scientists estimate that we manufacture, on average, about 60,000 thoughts a day. Even when you try not to think, you are thinking that you should not think. Fascinating, right?
twenty. 80% of our thoughts are negative
The same source that argues the previous figure suggests the following: of the 60,000 thoughts we have a day, 80% are negative , usually referencing the past repeatedly. We don't realize it in many cases, but negativity dominates our behavior.
Resume
What do you think of these data? We have tried to collect something for everyone: from anatomy to the subconscious and rationality, the human mind has countless curious facts to present. We encourage you to investigate for yourself the concepts that have most caught your attention, because, as we have previously said, knowledge is happiness