1. If we put all theneuronsof an adult brain100,000 million) single filewill occupy approximately1,000 kilometers.
2. The human brain weighs1,400 grams, and around the25% of caloriesthat we consume on a daily basis are intended to “feed” it. The giraffe’s brain weighs about half that, 680 grams; 420 grams that of a chimpanzee; 6,000 grams that of an elephant; and only 7.6 that of a squirrel.
3. While we are awake, our brain consumes a quantity ofelectricityequivalent to what it would take to illuminate a low-voltage light bulb (25 watts).
4. Torecognize a face, your brain looks first at the eyes of the person in front of you, and then at the shape of the mouth and nose, as demonstrated by a recent study carried out at the University of Barcelona (UB).
5. There is a protein calledRGS-14whatincreases visual memory up to 1,500 times. Although it has only been tested on rats so far, it could become a great ally for students of any age.
6. Thelife expectancy of a neuron of the sense of smell is only sixty days. After that time it is irretrievably replaced by a new one. However, despite this ongoing recycling, our memory for odors is unbeatable. What is more,smell is the sense with the greatest capacity to awaken memories asleeps.
7. The key toprejudicesit is also in our brain. Mahzarin Banaji and his partner Jason Mitchell of Harvard University compared the neural activity of different subjects a few years ago while thinking aboutpeople of different and equal political ideologyand they detected that different brain areas are activated. While thinking about like-minded people sets the ventral area of the medial prefrontal cortex in motion, the dorsal area is activated when we think of those who have opinions different from ours.
8. Wear aMediterranean dietthat is, with a lot of olive oil, whole grains, fish and fruit, you couldprotect the brain from injurywhich are related to small strokes, as recently demonstrated by Nikolaos Scarmeas of Columbia University (USA). Scarmeas has also proven that this diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
9. The scientistHenry Markram, director ofBlue Brain Project(BBP), ensures that we can build aartificial replication of the human brain within 10 years. In addition to helping us understand the mechanisms of the brain, the project could provide new clues to better understand mental disorders and develop new treatments.
10. The adult brain continues to generate neurons throughout life. The process is known asneurogénesis, and occurs mainly in thehippocampus, a brain region linked to memory and learning. Makeaerobic physical exercise, for example practicefooting, stimulates neurogenesis.
