Crystal brain cell
If you’re preparing for a quiz show and need to brush up on your
knowledge of the human brain - or if you just have a love of learning -
look no further, because we’ve gathered up a list of some of the best
brain facts on the planet. Amongst other things, you’ll learn why
babies’ heads are so darned big, why a healthy lunch is good for your
body
and
your brain, why happy thoughts will keep the doctor away and why your lover’s cologne makes your heart skip a beat.
Check out our list, and if you’ve got more cool and interesting facts to add, please leave a comment!
Image:
Gaetan Lee
Fast Brain Facts
-
3 = the weight of your brain in pounds
-
4 to 6 = the number of minutes your brain can survive without oxygen before it starts to die
-
8 to 10 = the number of seconds you have before losing consciousness due to blood loss
-
10 to 23 = the number of watts of power your grain generates when you’re awake (that’s enough to turn on a light bulb!)
-
20 = the percentages of oxygen and blood flow going to the brain
-
100,000 = the number of miles of blood vessels in your brain
-
1,000 to 10,000 = the number of synapses for each neuron in your brain
-
100 billion = the number of neurons in your brain
Image:
Michael Heilemann
Baby Brains
-
Each person has about the same number of brain cells at birth as in
adulthood, but those cells grow, reaching maximum size at about age six.
-
A newborn’s brain triples its size in the first year of life (no wonder babies have such big heads!).
-
The sense of touch is the first sense to develop in a fetus, with
the lips and cheeks experiencing this sensation at eight weeks.
-
Keep exercising your brain, because mental activity stimulates the creation of new neurons throughout your whole life.
Image:
Ctrldata
An Apple a Day
-
Think positive because when you do, you’ll keep the doctor away:
Studies show that 50-70% of visits to the doctor for physical ailments
can be traced to psychological reasons.
-
Eat well, and it’ll have positive effects on your brain, because a
study of one million New York students showed that those who ate
lunches
without additives such as artificial flavours, preservatives and dyes performed 14% better in IQ tests.
-
That being said, your brain is the most fatty organ in your body!
Image:
mbgrigby
The Memory Game
-
New connections are created each and every time you remember something or have a new thought.
-
Stronger, more intense emotional connections are linked to memories prompted by scent.
-
Memories triggered by scent (like cologne) have a stronger
emotional connection, and therefore appear more intense than other
memory triggers.
-
Cherish your sleep because that’s probably the best time for your brain to file away all the memories of the day.
Image:
Erik Mallinson
Things That Make You Go “Hmmm…”
-
It’s not your brain that’s hurting when you get a headache – without pain receptors, your brain can’t feel any pain.
-
Your brain knows when you tickle yourself, which is why you don’t bend over laughing.
-
Supertasters have a super power that enables them to sometimes
taste flavours that others can’t detect; they have more taste buds and
a brain that’s more sensitive to tastes of foods and drinks.
-
When you sleep, you’re virtually paralyzed because your brain creates a hormone to prevent you from acting out your dreams.
-
About 12% of people dream in black and white.
-
It’s not true that humans only use 10% of their brains; each part of the brain has a purpose.
Image:
jj_judes
|
