Did you know that your brain works a little bit like a computer? Only, it’s like a computer that is way more amazing and complex than we can ever understand. Your brain is the best technology you will ever have. It’s better than a tablet, phone, or even the best super-computer in the whole world! But, how does your brain work? What makes it so special?

Wiring Your Brain

Did you know that your brain generates enough electricity to power a lightbulb?¹ There are about 86 billion tiny cells in your brain called neurons.² These neurons send and receive information from all over your body through electrical and chemical signals. In fact, they send so many messages that just the neurons in your body can send and receive more messages than all the phones in the entire world!³

Your neurons send information and instructions all over your body super fast. It’s a good thing God made your brain to work quickly because this helps protect us and others from danger. For example, if you feel a mosquito on your skin, the nerves in your skin report to your brain, then your brain remembers that mosquito bites are bad, so it tells your hand to react by smacking the mosquito.

Did you know that your brain changes when you learn new things?⁴ For example, when you first learn how to play a musical instrument or how to read, it’s difficult. But, it gets easier with more practice until you can do it without thinking about it.   This is because your brain is creating new paths between neurons when you start learning something new. With enough practice, a new pathway between neurons is made and it’s easy to do what you learned.

What makes my brain different from an animal’s?

Have you ever taken a minute to think about thinking? How is it that you can think about thinking?

Animals are really cool, and they have amazing brains, but their brains are not quite like yours and mine. For example, as far as we know, animals don’t think about thinking. They are usually just interested in food and other basic needs of their bodies. They don’t think about things like learning how to read or what stories they might find in a book. Animals aren’t very creative – they don’t try to draw beautiful pictures or write music like people do. They tend to be extra self-centered and don’t usually do much to help each other unless they can get something out of it.

Sometimes in a litter of kittens, one will be sick or just weak and small. When this happens, the mother cat will not feed the sad little kitten or take care of it like the rest of the kittens. Although a mother cat can do a very good job of caring for her kittens, she doesn’t have the same kind of compassion for her weak, small, or sick kittens that humans have.

Why is that? Why do humans care so much about people and animals that are small, weak, or sick? People have a special mind that is different from the mind of an animal because we were made in the “image of God”. God made all the animals, but He made people to be different – extra special. God made people because He wanted someone to love and someone who could love Him back. He wanted someone who would enjoy being with Him.  Since God loves all of His creation and since we are made in God’s image, we tend to have a special heart of compassion for His creation.  That’s one of the reasons why our brain is so special – our brains are extra special because we are made in God’s image.

Fun Facts About Your Brain:

• If you were to look at your brain right next to the brain of a mammal about your size, your brain would be at least three times bigger!
• An adult human’s brain weighs about 3 pounds
• You aren’t supposed to use 100% of your brain at one time.  God efficiently designed your brain to only use the sections it needs to for the tasks at hand⁵
• The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. And the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body
• While you sleep, your brain sorts through information, makes decisions, creates memories, organizes memories, cleans out toxins, and does other things too
• Under the right conditions, your brain can re-wire itself to work normally when about half of it is removed!⁵

 

©2018 Sara J. Mikkelson

References:

1. Your Amazing Brain. National Geographic Kids. National Geographic. Accessed 6/8/18 https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/your-amazing-brain/
2. Azevedo, F.; et al. (April 10, 2009). “Equal numbers of neuronal and nonneuronal cells make the human brain an isometrically scaled-up primate brain”. The Journal of Comparative Neurology. 513 (5): 532–541.
3. Your Amazing Brain. National Geographic Kids. National Geographic. Accessed 6/8/18 https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/your-amazing-brain/
4. Leaf, Caroline. Switch On Your Brain. 2013. Baker Books. Baker Publishing Group.
5. Line, Peter. (June 2018). The Incredible Human Brain. Creation Magazine 40 (3). Pages 14-17. Creation Ministries International