Books, traditional or in electronic format, are the primary source of information and education. Nature has provided us with unlimited learning capacity. However, because we use our brains differently it develops differently. We mistake these differences as something we are born with, and wrongly label individuals as ‘intelligent’ or ‘dull’.
The important thing to remember is that human brain, intelligence and capacity to learn can be developed with proper exercises just like muscles in the body.
The Human Brain
Interesting New Discoveries The human brain is one of the most complex organisms in the world. The brain cells or neurons are basic building blocks of the nervous system and are infinitely flexible.
Interestingly the brain of a fruit fly has 100,000 neurons, mouse 5 million and Chimpanzee – man’s closest animal ‘relative’, has 10 billion neurons. Only human brain consists of one trillion neurons.
Neurons
Most of the neurons in humans are created just before birth at peak production rate of 250,000 neurons per minute. Neurons start to segregate soon after birth to take up different locations in the growing neural tube to become hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain.Interestingly half of the neurons die before birth. It is not yet clear why. Before birth, the brain grows to two thirds of its adult size, but only ten percent of its eventual weight.
A child’s brain is a miracle learning organism which consumes twice the food energy of an adult brain. All babies are gifted by nature with a super sponge like ability to absorb huge amounts of information.
The 1.3 kg grapefruit sized brain, goes through four major structural changes: in -foetal development, after birth up to age 4, between the ages of 4 and 12, and the years thereafter.
The first 12 years are vital for brain development. This is when the brain has ‘windows’ open for information and fresh learning to flow though easily. This is when characteristics like thinking, perception, language, vision, aptitude and attitudes are formed. After that the windows begin to close and the fundamental architecture of the brain is in place.
All children need loving interactions with others. Children deprived of touch, play and interactions with others have 30 % smaller brain than normal for their age. Curiously a woman’s brain is about 150 cubic centimetres smaller than that of a man’s, but by no means inferior.
‘Intelligence’ defined
The number of neuron connections in our brain determines our ‘intelligence’ and abilities to remember, retain and recall information. Neuron connections are constantly evolving and changing as a result of infinite stimuli constantly received from the environment.
The formation of new neuron connections slows down at about the age of twelve. Useful neuron connections become permanent; those that are not useful are eliminated. Scientists call this ‘pruning’. This process is like the gardener who sows more seeds than required and then thins out all but the strongest plants. This process of pruning is essential for the proper functioning of our nervous system.
So what makes neuron connections
The brain can be trained in many dimensions with conscious effort. Just like muscles in the body the more we use our brain the more neuron connections are made and more ‘intelligence’ and mental abilities of remembering, retaining and recalling information we exhibit.
Brain’s two hemispheres
The human brain has a very complex structure. For simplicity, it is said to be divided in two distinct parts, popularly called left and the right brain. Each of these parts has unique set of functions which manifest in different personal characteristics and form different neuron connections.
Generally speaking, left brain dominant persons think logically and do well in maths and science. Right dominant persons are good visualizers and do well in music, arts and such vocations.
Scientists believe that even geniuses like Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955), Leonardo Da Vinci (1452- 1519) and Ravindra Nath Tagore (1861 – 1941) used less than 10 % of their brain capacities. Interestingly Einstein, who formulated the theory of relativity, was considered a slow learner as a child and failed in Maths. But he was a good violinist and artist. Tagore a noble prize winning poet, writer and philosopher, was educated at home. Although at age seventeen he was sent to London for formal schooling, he never completed it.
What is important to remember is that geniuses are ‘whole brain thinkers’:– they use both sides of their brains to think. At present, our education systems are skewed towards left brain subjects. This is thankfully changing. It is now possible to make careers of right brain dominant vocations. Even then, some students tend to neglect right brain subjects like music, dance, painting and acting. Therefore majority of us are left brain dominant.
So which is better – left or right dominant brain?
Well neither. Both are important and must be developed and used to realize your full potential and unleash your genius. Note, creativity is not a right brain function, as is wrongly believed by many. Creativity involves logic, involves analysis, words, colour, rhythm, synergy and imagination. It requires both sides of the brain to be used in harmony.
Developing Whole Brain
To develop the right brain, practice freehand drawing of simple objects, lines and figures; play and enjoy music; practice storytelling; visualise events and your future vividly. Remember you don’t have to become an expert. But practice will improve your visualizing skills and abilities. To develop the left brain, attempt difficult and different types of maths and science problems, solve puzzles, do brain teasers, and identify similarities and differences between pictures and situations. If you develop your whole brain the pleasure of reading books will multiply manifold.
REFERENCE:
http://www.progressiveteacher.in/books-and-whole-brain-learning/
