Human brain : The inborn infinity | Abdullah Al Moinee

Abdullah Al Moinee

[ www.daily-sun.com/magazine/details/182698/Human-brain-:-The-inborn-infinity/2016-11-11 ]

[ Origin (Excerpted from): https://philosophy0fpsychology.blogspot.com/2019/06/human-brain-inborn-infinity-by-abdullah.html ]

Infinity is an inborn phenomenon which is a prerequisite of any knowledge All of the knowledge and imagination - everything that human thinks , feels & senses - comes through the human brain. Every thought we've ever had, is produced by the human brain. But exactly how it operates remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries, Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to know which opens the threshold of curiosities in the vastness of the universe . Human brain is the most complicated and mysterious thing in the universe. Scientists know more about stars exploding billions of light years away than they know about the brain. Experts estimate that in a lifetime, a human brain may retain one quadrillion (1015) separate bits of information.

The human brain consists of approximately 100 billion neurons (which is as many cells as there are stars in the Milky Way).Each neuron forms about 1,000 connections to other neurons, amounting to more than a trillion connections. If all the neurons in the human brain were lined up, they would stretch 600 miles. Neurons combine so that each one helps with many memories at a time, exponentially increasing the brain’s memory storage capacity to something closer to around 2.5 petabytes . The average number of thoughts that humans are believed to experience each day is 70,000.Starting from within the womb, fetal brain development begins the vivacious voyage that leads to a well-developed brain at birth that continues to grow for 18 more years . Neurons develop at the rate of 250,000 neurons per minute during early pregnancy . A newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year. The first sense to develop while in utero is the sense of touch .

Aristotle believed that the center of thought was the heart and that the brain’s function was merely to cool the heart.An early Greek physician, Alcmaeon of Croton was the first to claim that the brain, not the heart, is the central organ of sensation and thought. The human brain is the main organ of the human central nervous system. It is located in the head, protected by the skull. It has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but with a more developed cerebral cortex . Much of the size of the human brain comes from the cerebral cortex, especially the frontal lobes, which are associated with executive functions such as self-control, planning, reasoning, and abstract thought. The newest part of the cerebral cortex in terms of evolution is the neocortex (“new bark”), which scientists believe is responsible for the development of human intelligence.

The surface area of the human brain is about 1,500-3,000 sq.cm. A human brain is 75% water and has the consistency of tofu or gelatin. A human adult brain weighs about 3.5 pounds, slightly less than a large bag of flour. The sperm whale has the largest brain of all animals, weighing up to 20 pounds. An elephant’s brain weighs 11 pounds, while a mouse’s weighs only a few ounces. Contrary to the popular belief that humans use just 10% of their brain capacity, humans actually use virtually every part of the brain, and most of the brain is active all the time.

There are more than 100,000 chemical reactions happening in the human brain every second. The human brain can process information as fast as 268 miles/hr. The human brain has around 100,000 miles of blood vessels. Brain uses 20% of the total oxygen in human body. As with oxygen, brain uses 20% of the blood circulating in body. Yawning is the body’s way of cooling down an overheated brain. In addition, when brain does not receive the appropriate amount of oxygen, the yawn is said to provide the remaining amount of oxygen to the brain. Anoxic brain damage is brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen supply. Without oxygen, brain cells will start to die after four to six minutes . The human brain consists of 60% fat, making it one of the fattiest organs in the body . There are two types of tissues in a human brain—white matter (60%) and gray matter (40%).Transmission of signals in the brain is carried out by both of these matters.

On an ongoing basis, even during sleep, electrical signals are constantly flashing over the brain detected and measured by an encephalograph. While awake, a human brain can generate enough energy to power a light bulb (between 10-23 watts). A brain produces almost enough energy to light a bulb. On an average, a brain produces up to 30 – 35 watts at the time of awakening. The main source of the most energy hungry organ is glucose.

Humans grow faster at night than they do during the day because a small part of the brain, the pituitary gland, releases a growth hormone at night while a person sleeps. Studies show that brain waves are more active while dreaming than when we are awake. While we sleep, our body produces a hormone that may prevent us from acting out our dreams, leaving us virtually paralyze . Caffeine works to block naturally occurring adenosine in the body, creating alertness. Scientists have recently discovered this connection and learned that doing the opposite–boosting adenosine–can actually help promote more natural sleep patterns and help eliminate insomnia.

Harvard maintains a Brain Bank where over 7,000 human brains are store for research purposes. Albert Einstein’s brain was removed within seven hours of his death by Princeton pathologist Thomas Stoltz Harvey. Harvey sectioned the preserved brain into 240 blocks and removed the eyes and gave them away. He kept pieces of the brain for himself and gave other pieces to other prominent pathologists. He was fired from Princeton Hospital because he refused to return the brain. While Einstein’s brain weighed 1,230 grams, which is within normal human range, the brain had no parietal operculum in either hemisphere and had an enlarged Sylvan fissure. Certain parts of his brain also had more glial cells in relation to neurons.

Human brain is shaped by nature to be drawn toward aspects of nature that enhance our survival . Every aspect of nature reveals a deep mystery and touches our sense of wonder and so the brain does with its infinite junctures . The human brain now holds the key to our future. By 2020, most home computers will have the computing power of a human brain. That doesn't mean that they are brains, but it means that in terms of raw processing, they can process bits as fast as a brain can inbornly . A single human brain has about a hundred million nerve cells and a computer program that throws light on the brain problem will have to incorporate the deepest insights of biologists, nerve scientists, psychologists, physiologists, linguists, social scientists, and even philosophers. The conquest of the human brain is going to be not only a one small step for man but also one giant leap for mankind .

Moinee, A. Al. “Human Brain: The Inborn Infinity” The Daily Sun. 7(19). 11 Nov.2016. Morning Tea. 7(43).