Facts About the Brain - Overlooked Outlook

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The human brain has been said to be the most astonishing thing in the known universe, so it’ a shame people don’t use it more often. Of course, the alien brains inhabiting the unknown universe might beg to differ. Still, you’ve got to admit that just like walrus penises and jelly filled doughnuts, our brains are pretty impressive. Especially mine. I know this because every time I go around telling people how brilliant I am, their jaws drop wide open and they let out a little gasp, which could only be caused by awe for my superior intellect. So from my brain to yours, here are some fun and astonishing facts about the brain to ponder:

1. The human brain is roughly 3 pounds, or about 2% of body weight, but it consumes 20% of its energy.

2. The human brain comes into this world with around 100 billion neurons, each of which can contain around 10,000 branches. This allows for roughly one-quadrillion connections, with an infinite number of possible configurations. In fact, the possible number of neural configurations within each brain exceeds the number of atoms in the known universe…not stars, atoms. (Diamond & Hopson, 1999, p. 370) Which means each of us truly are a unique, one-of-a-kind individual.

3. The human brain has more than 3,300 types of brain cells. This is 10-times as many as previously thought, and more than any other organ in the body. The lung, for example, has around 100 different types of cells. (The Week, 11-3-2023, p. 21)

4. A cubic millimeter of brain tissue can house 100,000 neurons or more, sending signals across a million connections in mere thousandths of a second. (Gross, 2012)

5. Nerve signals travel up fibers to the brain at up to 30 meters per second. Which is almost as fast as I run from the table whenever the check arrives at a restaurant.

6. A single neuron can connect to tens of thousands of other cells.

7. Contrary to popular belief, more neurons do not necessarily equal greater intelligence. You were actually born with more neurons than you have today, but your brain pruned them away in the name of better efficiency.