Super-Plasticity: How Our Superhero Brains Mold Themselves
Presenter:
Brain Facts
Time:
5:02
Summary
One of the brain’s superpowers is its ability to learn new skills. This ability is thanks to plasticity: a process that allows neurons to make new connections to meet challenges as they come. Enhanced plasticity is built into children’s brain development to help them learn crucial skills like how to talk. But other neural connections can come together at all ages and be used for anything, like helping you learn how to make a bed or write with your non-dominant hand. Like in all superhero movies, strengthening those skills requires training and practice to make new brain bonds as strong as they can be.
Transcript
Today, we will be talking about plasticity, which is the brain's amazing ability to change and adapt throughout our lives. Now you might be thinking, What does plastic have to do with the brain? Well, in this context, plasticity refers to the brain's ability to change and reorganize itself in response to different experiences. Plasticity is crucial because it enables our brains to adapt and change throughout our lives in response to new experiences and challenges. It allows us to learn new skills, recover from injuries, and even rewire our neural networks to overcome obstacles. Without plasticity, our brains would be limited in their capacity to grow and evolve, making it difficult to navigate the complex world around us. The brain is amazing because it can change and grow in two special ways.
One is when our brain changes based on our experiences, and the other is when our brain naturally develops as we grow up. Let's explore the differences between these two types of brain growth through the eyes of a champion. Imagine you're a superhero with a superpower that allows you to learn new things every day. Whenever you encounter something new or exciting, your brain gets supercharged and becomes even more powerful. This is called experience dependent brain growth. It's like adding new tools to your superpower toolbox. Let's do a fun experiment to see how this works. Close your eyes and imagine you're exploring a magical forest with talking animals and colorful flowers.