That gray mushy blob inside your head is actually pretty dang incredible. Don’t think so? Well, prepare for your mind to be blown, by your own mind.
- Did you know your brain weights 3 pounds? Yep, all that knowledge, information and memory weighs less than your grandma’s dumbbells.
- About 75 percent of the brain is comprised of water. Even slight dehydration can affect the way your brain operates. Drink up!
- The brain will grow three times its size in your first year of life, but when you reach 18 years old, it stops.
- It’s a myth that you use only 10 percent of your brain. You use all of it, even when you’re sleeping. In fact, during sleep, your brain waves are more active than when awake.
- Speaking of sleep, your dreams are proof that the brain is always on the go. Dreams are considered a combination of neurological and psychological factors, as well as your imagination.
- There are 100 BILLION neurons present in the brain. That’s a billion tiny cells transmitting nerve impulses that tell you what to think, feel, see, hear and do. Crazy! What’s even nuttier is that those neurons can travel up to 250 miles per hour!
- Want to know something semi-gross? During Egyptians’ mummification process, they’d generally remove the brain from the nose.
- Eyewitness accounts are rarely accurate — only about 50 percent true, since usually it is difficult for the brain to remember specific details involving strangers. Traumatic events can also impact the brain’s ability to process specifics.
- A brain freeze is actually a sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, if ya want to get technical. This happens when you gulp down a Slushie or gobble up two ice cream cones back-to-back. The act chills blood vessels and arteries in the very back of the throat, including those that transport blood to the brain.
- The average male brain has a volume of 1,274 cubic centimeters, while a female’s brain has 1,131 cubic centimeters. (Girls rule, boys drool.)
- The human brain is able to generate approximately 23 watts of power when awake — that’s enough to power a light bulb!
- Want to know why telephone numbers in the U.S. are seven digits long? Apparently, our working memory, or short-term memory, can hold an average of seven maximum digits. This allows people to remember a phone number just long enough to dial it.
- There are 2,500,000 gigabytes of storage space in your brain. That’s thousands and thousands more than your iPhone.
- Your brain prefers images over text. That’s why sometimes it’s best to color-code your college index cards and create symbols for your to-do lists. Something else interesting that’s tied to visuals: The part of your brain responsible for sight is actually located in the back of the brain.
- The brain is made of 60 percent fat, making it one of the fattest organs in the body. Now that’s some weight you don’t want to lose!
- Being able to easily access information makes it more difficult to remember the data. The takeaway? Skip Google and head to your library or something.
- If you were to string all your brain’s blood vessels back-to-back, you’d have a line of over 100,000 miles in length!
- About 20 percent of your body’s oxygen use is for the brain. Head to yoga, and breathe deeply!
- The biggest brain on earth belongs to the sperm whale and weighs about 20 pounds.
- Your brain is just as unique as your fingerprint. Basically, your thoughts and feelings — all that you are — is one of a kind!
So, next time you need a reminder of how magnificent you are, read this list and blow your own mind!
