Transcript

Did you know that your brain runs on only 25 watts of electricity, enough to power an LED light bulb, or that there are nearly 10,000 different types of neurons in your brain? The fact that we know these things or care is due to a special ability that arises in our complex brains, curiosity from a very early age, curiosity drives us to understand our world, our communities, our bodies and even our own brains. For the last 200 years, the study of neuroscience has allowed us to do just that.

We've learned how individual neurons work at a molecular level and how billions of them work together to let you talk, learn and imagine. We are learning why sugar is so hard to avoid, how exercise helps the brain, and why the urge to itch is so contagious. Along the way, this exploration has led to innumerable insights that help with human problems. We have treatments for pain and Parkinson's disease, and more are on their way, depression and Alzheimer's disease are also yielding their secrets. Still, there is much to learn about the brain and many more discoveries to be made.