07:09
Faizan
Most of us know that we wouldn't be much good without our brains, but we sometimes forget just how incredible that cerebral organ we carry around in our skull is.
From emotions, to the choices and decisions we make, to our behaviour and health, neuroscience shows us that the brain is the most amazing creation on earth... and following are five reasons why:
1. It Keeps us Toxin-Free and Healthy
We know that all animal species need sleep, as much as they need food, water and air. In humans, children need a lot of sleep to help them grow healthily.
But sleep is the occasion for another critical function in the adult brain - and it's not just a well-deserved rest from the stresses and strains of everyday life; it is a cleaning mechanism for the body.
A study published recently in the Science journal shows that sleep ensures metabolic homeostasis. This means that it helps clean the brain; hidden "caves" in the brain are activated during sleep to bathe it in fluids and clear it of harmful toxins that can impact our daily performance and our overall health.
These toxins, which accumulate during waking hours, include proteins that have been linked with Alzheimer's disease.
2. Our Brains Make Us Social Creatures
Our brains thrive on being around others and we really are social creatures. We are not alone in the animal kingdom in that respect, but partly what sets humans apart is the need to feel loved, to have friends, and to sympathise with others. Our brains are designed that way.
A study from the University of Virginia found that we associate those people who are closest to us, such as friends, spouses, lovers, as part of ourselves. Other people become part of our own identity, and the feelings of love and empathy we have for them help to explain why it is so hard when these relationships break down; it also helps explain why when friends or loved ones are threatened, we feel threatened too.
Neuroscience suggests that humans have a physical and mental need to have friends and allies to identify and empathise with, in order to live a healthy life.
3. Your Brain is a Third Eye
A recent study published in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that the brain is able to process and understand visual input that our eyes don't pick up, and that we are not consciously aware of.
From emotions, to the choices and decisions we make, to our behaviour and health, neuroscience shows us that the brain is the most amazing creation on earth... and following are five reasons why:
1. It Keeps us Toxin-Free and Healthy
We know that all animal species need sleep, as much as they need food, water and air. In humans, children need a lot of sleep to help them grow healthily.
But sleep is the occasion for another critical function in the adult brain - and it's not just a well-deserved rest from the stresses and strains of everyday life; it is a cleaning mechanism for the body.
A study published recently in the Science journal shows that sleep ensures metabolic homeostasis. This means that it helps clean the brain; hidden "caves" in the brain are activated during sleep to bathe it in fluids and clear it of harmful toxins that can impact our daily performance and our overall health.
These toxins, which accumulate during waking hours, include proteins that have been linked with Alzheimer's disease.
2. Our Brains Make Us Social Creatures
Our brains thrive on being around others and we really are social creatures. We are not alone in the animal kingdom in that respect, but partly what sets humans apart is the need to feel loved, to have friends, and to sympathise with others. Our brains are designed that way.
A study from the University of Virginia found that we associate those people who are closest to us, such as friends, spouses, lovers, as part of ourselves. Other people become part of our own identity, and the feelings of love and empathy we have for them help to explain why it is so hard when these relationships break down; it also helps explain why when friends or loved ones are threatened, we feel threatened too.
Neuroscience suggests that humans have a physical and mental need to have friends and allies to identify and empathise with, in order to live a healthy life.
3. Your Brain is a Third Eye
A recent study published in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that the brain is able to process and understand visual input that our eyes don't pick up, and that we are not consciously aware of.
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