Brain Facts & Mind Expanding Videos

The brain is still pretty much a mystery to us all – how it works, the power it has, the ability to actually change your brain are all topics that are studied by scientists worldwide.  The mind and brain are fascinating subjects and learning how they work is the subject of countless studies.  There are some great documentaries and videos on the brain and mind that can help you learn about some of the mysteries of the mind.  I have compiled a few here that are enlightening and interesting.  If you have ever wondered about the power or workings of the brain here are 25 interesting facts about the brain.

1. 25% of the body’s cholesterol resides within the brain. Cholesterol is an integral part of every brain cell. Without adequate cholesterol, brain cells die.
2. A piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons and 1 billion synapses all communicating with each other.
3. All brain cells are not alike. There are as many as 10,000 specific types of neurons in the brain.
4. Although pain is processed in your brain, your brain has no pain receptors and feels no pain. This explains how brain surgery can be performed while the patient is awake with no pain or discomfort.
5. Babies have big heads to hold rapidly growing brains. A 2-year-old’s brain is 80% of adult size.
6. Brain information moves at an impressive 260 miles per hour. This is faster than Formula 1 race cars which top out at 240 mph.
7. Having high total cholesterol is not bad for your brain. In fact it actually reduces your risk of dementia.
8. Each neuron connects with, on average, 40,000 synapses.
9. There are approximately 400 miles of blood vessels in the brain
10. Memories are shockingly unreliable. Emotions, motivation, cues, context and frequency of use can all affect how accurately you remember something.

11. Memory is more of an activity than a place. Any given memory is deconstructed and distributed in different parts of the brain. Then, for the memory to be recalled, it gets reconstructed from the individual fragments.
12. More than 100,000 chemicals reactions take place in your brain every second.
13. Multitasking makes you less productive. Your brain jumps between tasks resulting in decreases in attention span, learning, performance, and short-term memory.
14. Neanderthal brains were 10% larger than our homo sapiens brains.
15. No one knows for sure, but the latest estimate is that our brains contain roughly 86 billion brain cells.
16. Only 5 minutes without oxygen can cause brain damage.
17. Over 140 proteins in the brain are negatively impacted by exposure to electromagnetic frequencies — the kind emitted by your cell phone, electronics, and other electrical devices.
18. The average brain has around 50,000 thoughts per day and 70% of them are believed to be negative.
19. The brain in your head isn’t your only brain. There’s a “second brain” in your intestines that contains 100,000 neurons. Gut bacteria are responsible for making over 30 neurotransmitters including the “happy” molecule serotonin.
20. The human brain is not solid. It’s soft and squishy similar to the consistency of soft tofu or soft gelatin. And it’s very fragile.
21. The typical brain is about 2% of a body’s weight but uses 20% of its total energy and oxygen intake.
22. There is no such thing as a left-brain or right-brain personality type. We are not left-brained or right-brained; we are “whole brained.”
23. 95% of decisions take place in the subconscious mind.
24. Your brain is 73% water. It takes only 2% dehydration to affect your attention, memory and other cognitive skills.
25. Your brain’s storage capacity is considered virtually unlimited. It doesn’t get “used up” like RAM in your computer.

The brain is truly amazing – just think about it. 🙂 I’ve assembled several brain expanding or mind blowing videos that you can see below. Enjoy!