My Brain Hurts

1. My Brain Hurts …and other brain trivia

2. Test Your Knowledge (T/F) • Your brain can hurt.

3. False. Your brain itself cannot hurt. However, the brain holds pain receptors for the rest of your body. It is the “processing ground” – chances are if you think your brain hurts, it’s actually coming from somewhere else in your body.

4. 2. The human brain weighs 5 lbs.

5. False. See the answer to #2 – the adult human brain weighs about 3 pounds.

6. 3. Your brain accounts for 2% of your body weight.

7. True. An adult human brain weighs about 3 pounds, which accounts for about 2% of an average healthy human’s body weight.

8. 4. An elephants brain weighs 13 lbs.

9. True. An adult elephant’s brain weighs about 13 lbs, or about 6,000 g.

10. 5. The world record for time without sleep is 300 hours.

11. 5. False. Although there is some debate. The first record was set in 1965 and was 265 hours, in 1990 the Guinness Book of World Records documented a time of 453 hours and 40 minutes. • That works out to be just over 18 days!!!!

12. The Brain & Social Science • We are interested in how the brain functions • Neurons are of interest because they are responsible for processing information • There is still debate over the relationship between the brain & the mind – one comparison refers to the brain as the computer hardware & the mind as the software (wikipedia)

13. THE BRAIN

14. The average human brain weighs about 1,400 grams (3 lb) • The brain can be divided down the middle lengthwise into two halves called the cerebral hemispheres • Each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes

15. A. Frontal Lobe • Concerned with reasoning, planning, and emotions

16. B. Parietal Lobe • Concerned with perception of stimuli related to touch, pressure, temperature and pain.

17. C. Temporal Lobe • Concerned with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli (hearing) and memory

18. D. Occipital Lobe • Concerned with many aspects of vision.

21. 1. CerebralCortex • The word "cortex" comes from the Latin word for "bark" (of a tree). (A sheet of tissue that makes up the outer layer of the brain.) • The thickness of the cerebral cortex varies from 2 to 6 mm. The right and left sides of the cerebral cortex are connected by a thick band of nerve fibers called the "corpus callosum“ • Functions: thought ,voluntary movements, language, reasoning and perception

22. 2. CEREBELLUM • The word "cerebellum" comes from the Latin word for "little brain". • In some ways, the cerebellum is a bit like the cerebral cortex: the cerebellum is divided into hemispheres and has a cortex that surrounds these hemispheres • Functions: movement, balance, posture, muscle tone, co-ordination

23. 3. BRAIN STEM • The brain stem is a general term for the area of the brain between the thalamus and spinal cord. • Structures within the brain stem include the medulla, pons, tectum, reticular formation and tegmentum. • Some of these areas are responsible for the most basic functions of life such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.

24. 4. HYPOTHALAMUS • The hypothalamus is composed of several different areas and is located at the base of the brain. • It is only the size of a pea (about 1/300 of the total brain weight), • responsible for some very important behaviors such as controlling body temperature (hunger, thirst, sex drive)

25. 5. THALAMUS • The thalamus receives sensory information and relays this information to the cerebral cortex. • The cerebral cortex also sends information to the thalamus which then transmits this information to other areas of the brain

26. 6. Forebrain • Responsible for higher thinking, language and abstract reasoning

27. Left-Brain vs. Right Brain • Both sides look the same, but operate very differently • These hemispheres are connected by a thick band of nerve fibres, the corpus callosumwhich sends messages back and forth between the hemispheres • Left side: responsible for logic, memory, language, math & science, details, order/pattern • Right side: responsible for feelings, symbols & images, future, “big picture”, spatial perception, more visual and processes intuitively, holistically, and randomly

28. Right-handed? • Meaning of the word: morally acceptable, correct, normal • No one can explain why right-handedness is more dominant • The left hemisphere is more dominant in righties – more analytical • Many devices are made for right-handed people; resulting in the deaths of lefties every year

29. Left-handed? • Belief: you are more creative & more intelligent – some studies prove this • Studies show right hemisphere of brain is more active in lefties – more synthetic • Also links to dyslexia, stuttering & autism • Used to be huge stigma – shunned, punished, “beaten out of” – even in 20th century, in R-C schools

30. Nature vs. Nurture • How much control do we have over our brain? Our reactions? Our intelligence? • Is the way that we think and function predetermined or can outside influences exert change within the brain? • This will be our focus over the next few days!

31. The Brain Most people seem to have a dominant side. A key word is that our dominance is a preference, not an absolute.

32. SAY THE COLOUR AND NOT THE WORD!! • YELLOW BLUEORANGE • BLACKRED GREEN • PURPLEYELLOWRED • ORANGE GREENBLACK • BLUERED PURPLE • GREEN BLUE ORANGE • Your RIGHT brain tries to say the colour but your LEFT brain insists on saying the word!! • TRY IT AGAIN and see if you can do it this time!

33. Which Brain Do You Have? http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi

35. Is there any truth to this cartoon?

36. Differences Between Men and Women More men than women are left handed. More men than women favour the right ear when listening, and more women listen in both ears equally. More women than men prove better at reading the emotions of people in photographs.

37. Differences Between Men and Women Research has revealed that men’s brains are dominated by the right hemisphere. Communication between the hemispheres is easier in women’s brains. This may explain why women have good intuition and can read emotional clues.

38. Conversational Styles The makeup of the female brain may be a major factor in the lower incidence of women’s promotions to top jobs. Women tend to communicate in an inclusive manner more than men do.

39. Activity – Build the Tallest Tower • In your group, build the tallest tower using newspaper and tape ONLY! How did you describe your group work in the Tower of Power? Did the girls explain it differently than the boys?

40. Brain Drain • Read pp. 100-104, 107-109 • Take notes! • Complete Recap questions p. 109 #1-3