Education, study and knowledge

20 fun facts about the human mind

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From a physiological point of view, the human brain is the main organ of the central nervous system (CNS). This fragile organ is surrounded by the bones of the skull, which protect it from mechanical stress and environmental elements, and weighs just 1.4 kilograms. Thanks to this cellular conglomerate, human beings are able to define ourselves 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 become even more informative if possible, since many structures of our bodies contain curious data that, if they are not dedicated to their own space, can get lost in technicalities and forget quickly. Based on the premises of interest and simplicity, today we show you 20 curious facts about the human mind.

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  • We recommend you read: "The 9 parts of a neuron (and their characteristics)"

The most amazing and fascinating facts about our mind

We will try to address this issue both at an anatomical and subjective / psychological level. Therefore, we present you 20 curious facts about the human mind of great interest to scientists and psychologists alike.

1. The human brain is larger in men on average

As we have said, the human brain weighs an average of 1.4 kilograms, reporting important variations between individuals. The size (volume) is 1,130 cubic centimeters in women, while in males the figure rises to 1,260 cubic centimeters.

Given the same height and body surface, the brain of men is, on average, about 100 grams heavier than that of women. The more macho side of neuroscience has historically tried to use this data as proof that the cognitive system of men is “more developed”. As expected, this postulation has never been proven: cognitive ability depends on the individual, not on his 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 the myelin sheaths), the nerve impulse reaches the dizzying speed of 120 meters / second.

Synapse

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 starry appearance, but also allow it to communicate with many cells at the same time. 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 be able to remain in time without making any physical effort, that is, at all rest. You will be surprised to know that the brain consumes 20% of glucose and oxygen in the body, which translates into about 350 kilocalories per day. Many physical exercises of considerable duration do not burn as 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 a 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. Before it was believed that human neurons remained unchanged since development ceased (or at most they could be lost due to injuries), but it has been discovered that this is not the case at all.

In any case, it is necessary to emphasize that neurogenesis in adult mammals has only been detected in two areas of the brain: the subgranular zone (ZSG) of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (ZSV) of the ventricles sides.

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 which it then sends to other cell bodies, from which it also receives news.

8. The brain remains a mystery

The brain has not yet been fully understood and research on its anatomy and functionality continues. Every day, multiple scientific publications are made available to the public that discuss, evaluate and register 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 myth of "10% of the brain" is very popular, but it is not founded on 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, the brain is estimated to generate up to 23 watts of electrical current. This energy is enough to turn on some types of light bulbs.

Brain electricity

11. Consciousness and consciousness are not the same

We leave the physiological terrain a bit and enter more subjective concepts, since we address what is capable to generate the brain structure that we have described in the previous points about our personality and behavior. To get you started, 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 themselves as their own and differentiated from the environment. On the other hand, consciousness refers to the ability to discern events in a state of consciousness based on a subjective and own load, such as morals and ethics imparted at the social level. A person loses consciousness when she falls unconscious, while the individual acts based on his consciousness, that is, what he believes to be good or bad in a subjective way.

12. Human beings articulate an enormous capacity of words per day

It is estimated that women articulate around 20,000 words a day, while men have a much lower rate, around 7,000. In any case, both are astronomical figures that highlight 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 sex-affective partner are happier than those who live alone, have been divorced, or have lost a loved one to diseases. Of course, these data reflect the average, since there are many people who are happy in solitude and do not require extensive company.

14. Negative bias could be an evolutionary holdover

The negative bias is based on a simple premise: when faced with two events of the same intensity, the most negative of them stands out disproportionately above the neutral / positive one. This makes many people extremely pessimistic, unconsciously looking at the bad facts much more than the good ones.

Interestingly, this behavior could have certain benefits in nature. If a mammal perceives a negative stimulus more intensely, it is much more likely to flee from it on other occasions, remembering it perfectly. Thus, the negativity bias in humans it could be a vestigial characteristic inherited from our ancestors.

15. Communication in humans does not only lie in the word

There is a very famous postulation that has been used historically to explain human communication. 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 person who articulates them. While this theory has not appeared without multiple detractors, it is still interesting.

16. Knowledge gives us happiness

Multiple studies have shown that the degree of studies and individual knowledge are usually positively correlated with greater happiness. In any case, this could be due to the fact that a higher student degree implies a higher rate of economic income in many cases, which could really explain this application.

17. Concentration time in humans varies by age

Anyone who has worked with children will suspect this curious fact about the human mind, but it is never wrong to put experiences in perspective on a numerical level. A one-year-old has an average concentration of 4 to 10 minutes, while a 10-year-old can concentrate for up to 50 minutes.

Concentration

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

The thought of the human being is continuous and constant, since 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?

20. 80% of our thoughts are negative

The same source that argues the previous figure raises the following: of the 60,000 thoughts we have a day, 80% are negative, generally referencing the past repeatedly. We are not aware of 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 harbors countless fun facts to present. We encourage you to investigate for yourself the concepts that have most caught your attention, because, as we have said previously, knowledge is happiness.

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