A human brain is often compared to
a computer because they both can
perform math calculations and
process and file information.
However, they are two different
systems that process information
differently. A computer can do
math instantly, but does not have
the human brain’s capability of
face and voice recognition. Here
are some more comparisons:
POWER: Both use electricity. A
brain relies on sodium and potassium
to transmit electrical signals, while a
computer needs the right wiring.
MEMORY: Computers can organize and store
an unlimited amount of information, but a brain can make errors in organizing and
filing information.
INFORMATION ACCESS: Unlike filing information in folders and on the desktop
of your PC, the brain files pieces of information in different areas. This information
needs to be continually accessed to be retained.
PROCESSING: A computer calculates faster than a brain, but a brain adapts to circumstances more easily, interprets information faster, and has the ability to imagine
and create.
REPAIRS: A computer can be fixed easily with new parts, but a human brain needs
time to heal.
UPGRADES: A computer can be upgraded with new technology. A human brain can
be strengthened with good nutrition, adequate sleep and brain exercises.
“When you want to retain information, you have to repeat it,” Molidor says.
“Some fun and easy ways to do this are with acronyms, rhymes and songs.”
>>Using drugs puts holes in your brain.
False: Only physical trauma can put a hole in
your brain.
>>Alcohol does not kill brain cells.
True: Alcohol use doesn’t damage the actual
brain cells, but it does damage the ends of
neurons, which are called dendrites. This
results in problems conveying messages
between the neurons.
>>The brain is called “gray matter”
because it’s gray.
False: The brain is gray, white, black and red.
Brains in specimen jars appear gray because
of formaldehyde used in the preservation
process.
>>Humans have the biggest brains of all
animals.
False. The average human brain weighs
about 3 pounds, which is a body-to-weight
ratio of 1:50. In most other mammals, the
ratio is 1:180.
>>Listening to classical musical before a
test will improve your grade or increase
your unborn baby’s IQ, according to the
Mozart effect.
False: Classical music does not increase
brainpower.
6
“There are biological differences between male and female
brains, but be careful about generalizing behavior,” says
Molidor. Research confirms that there are some subtle differences between
a male and female brain:
CELL NUMBERS: Men have 4 percent more brain cells than women,
and about 100 grams more brain tissue.
CORPUS COLLOSUM SIZE: A woman’s brain has a larger corpus collosum,
which means women can transfer data between the right and left hemispheres faster than men.
LANGUAGE: For men, language is most often in the dominant hemisphere (usually the left side),
but women are able to use both sides for language. This enables women to recover more fully
from a stroke.
LIMBIC SIZE: The brain’s limbic system houses bonding and nesting instincts. Females have larger
and deeper limbic systems than males and can connect to others more rapidly, as a rule.
MALE AND FEMALE
BRAINS ARE DIFFERENT.
