Learning and Cognition Most organisms begin life with all of the processing systems and information that they need to survive. Humans are a notable exception in that an adult-size brain is significantly larger than a mother’s birth canal. So, we are born with an immature brain that develops additional mass and capabilities during its twenty year post-birth developmental trajectory. Parenting, mentoring, teaching, and mass media are examples of the cultural systems that humans have […]
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If you show a baby a series of pictures of cats, the appearance of a dog will attract a long look. This means that babies can distinguish cats from dogs – a feat that is extremely difficult to program into a computer.
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Brain Imaging A key contributor to our growing understanding of neuroplasticity was the development of brain imaging technology. By allowing scientists to produce images of the brain that show its structure, as well as where activity spikes as it engages in various cognitive activities, these neuroimaging methods have revolutionized neuroscience in the same way that the telescope revolutionized astronomy. There are 2 types of brain imaging: structural and functional. Structural imaging provides information […]
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You cannot tickle yourself because you cannot generate strong enough signals in your cerebellum to make you react. Your cerebellum kicks into overdrive however if the touch comes from someone else.
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Lifelong Neuroplasticity Historically, it was thought that the human brain was a fixed and essentially limited system that only degraded with age. This view saw the brain as a rigid machine in many ways, pretty much set after childhood. By contrast, we have now come to appreciate that the human brain is actually a highly dynamic and constantly reorganizing system, capable of being shaped and reshaped across the entire lifespan. It is believed that […]
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