It’s not much to look at. It has the dimensions, color and surface of a rather small cauliflower. It’s taken a lot of time to figure out how it works. And within the next ten years or so, we’ll have an exhaustive model of it, thanks to the Blue Brain project.
Yes, the human brain is the single most complex material structure in the known universe. The cortex alone consists of a thousand million neuronal connections (or synapses). If you were to count them at a rate of one per second, it would take about 32 million years, writes Nobel Prize winner Gerald Edelman in his splendid Brilliant Air, Brilliant Fire: On the Matter of the Mind.
Mental processes, including creativity, are the result of the instantaneous and infinitely complex activity of the brain. Contrary to what was once believed, it seems that new neurons are produced over the entire course of one’s life – but if they are not constantly stimulated by learning, they die in just a few weeks.
So, kudos to all the kids who are going back to school in these trying times, and to their teachers as well. It takes a lot of courage and hard work to continue teaching and learning how to think. Side note: turning off the TV probably helps!
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