6 Myths About Brain

The human brain is amazing made of 100 billion neurons that control everything from your movement to your personality. But it’s also often misunderstood.

Myth 1: People have different learning styles. #

Fact #

• The truth is while teachers may try to structure their classrooms based on students’ learning styles, several studies indicate that there is no difference in how people learn.

• A study published in Anatomical Sciences Education involved data from hundreds of students who were surveyed to determine what kind of learner they thought they were.

• Teachers then began to tailor their lessons based on the students’ self-reported learning style. Scientists found that there was no significant improvement in the students’ test scores.

Myth 2: Brain games improve your memory and reasoning skills. #

Fact #

• The truth is the BBC commissioned a study to investigate this theory by asking more than 8,600 people aged 18 to 60 to play online brain games designed to improve memory and reasoning.

• The participants played the games for 10 minutes a day, three times a week.

• The study showed that after six weeks, the test subjects didn’t demonstrate improved cognitive function in tasks for which they did not specifically train in the games.

Myth 3: Your IQ stays the same throughout your life. #

Fact #

• The truth is research has shown that your IQ can fluctuate while you age, but it’s important to note that testing someone’s intelligence is an imperfect science.

• Fluid intelligence, or the ability to think quickly and recall information, peaks at the age of 18 and then tapers off as you get older.

• Conversely, someone’s emotional intelligence can continue to improve until the age of 30.

Myth 4: Alcohol kills brain cells. #

Fact #

• The truth is moderate alcohol use doesn’t kill brain cells.

• However, binge drinking or frequent, sustained drinking can damage the ends of neurons, called dendrites.

• This damage can affect the ability for neurons to convey messages to each other.

• In addition, people with alcohol addiction can develop a neurological disorder called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, resulting in vision changes, loss of muscle control and impaired memory.

Myth 5: Brain size affects intelligence. #

Fact #

• The truth is intelligence is determined by the number of connections between brain cells, called synapses, not by the size of the brain itself.

• Fun Fact: An explosion of synapse formation occurs at about week 12 of a pregnancy, during early brain development.

Myth 6: The brain declines as you get older. #

Fact #

• The truth is though some cognitive functions do decline as you get older, plenty of your mental skills actually improve with age.

• Vocabulary, comprehension, conflict resolution and emotional regulation are just a few areas in which older brains can perform better than their younger counterparts.