At this Cogitania workshop, we learned some basics about the human brain, ranging from how much the average adult brain weighs (~3 lbs; the students were remarkably good at estimating this!) to how a brain feels like (e.g., similar to cooked oatmeal or butter at room temperature).

We learned why the human brain is so wrinkly — to accommodate large amounts of brain tissue within the limited space inside the cranium. The ability for an animal species to perform complex tasks is related to the number of folds (gyri) and grooves (sulci) found on the surface of the cerebrum. We then compared the human brain with its many folds to the brains of different non-human animals and pondered why some brains had more gyri and sulci than others (we were quite fixated by the opossum brain, which had little to no folds, and the shark brain, which was much smaller than we had expected).

We also learned the general functions of the different lobes of the human brain (frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe) and where they’re located. The students drew the different lobes onto their brain caps and did really well when quizzed about the names, locations, and functions of the different lobes.

We ended the workshop by learning a little bit about the nerve cells that make up the brain and making a neuron model from beads and strings.

Next week, we will finish learning about neurons and move on to how the brain supports our five senses (vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste). I am planning on having them taste either Skittles or jellybeans for the Taste demo. Please let me know if that's okay with you! (I don't know whether the students have any dietary restrictions).

I look forward to the next session!

— Lily

neuroscience 12/2