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Asked by 223hemb33 to Jonathan, Kellie, Kevin, Melissa, Stephanie on 27 Apr 2016.
Question: How do we think?
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Jonathan Jackson answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Oh, wow – four words in this question, and it’s the most complicated one I’ve been asked.
What scientists believe about how we think has changed a lot in the past ten years, and it will change a lot in the next ten years. So my answer won’t be accurate for very long!
Right now, we believe that the brain creates something called a network, where one part of the brain talks to three or four other parts of the brain at the same time. When we think, at least three (likely more) networks from around your brain switch on and off and merge to form larger networks and break up into smaller networks on a second-by-second basis, depending on what you’re doing. These networks have to be timed perfectly. If they’re off by just a little bit, you might forget what you were doing, lose your focus, or react too slowly. But because these networks change every single second, we are able to handle a huge amount of information in really creative ways.
Our brain is seriously the coolest thing that exists. (But then again, of course my brain thinks that.)
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Stephanie Moon answered on 28 Apr 2016:
Hello,
That is a really cool question, and it’s a great scientific question because it’s important, and it’s also a big question that will take a lot of research and time to figure out. I agree with Jonathan– it’s complicated and we don’t really have a good answer yet! There are a lot of scientists working on figuring out how we think, and we’re learning more and more every day. One thing I’m interested in is what kinds of cells are in the brain, and how do they work together to let us think, move our bodies, remember things, learn, and everything else! We know that the brain has a complicated structure and it’s full of millions of neurons (nerve cells) that have really specialized parts to communicate with other cells and react to signals quickly. We also know that special cells called astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are important for helping neurons survive and function properly. I’m curious about how they all work together in a normal brain- how do they communicate with each other, and what exactly do they do? -
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Melissa Wilson Sayres answered on 30 Apr 2016:
How do we think? Answering this question also has us wondering about how other animals think. What are the aspects about the ways that humans think that are shared across different animals, and what are the aspects that are unique to the way that humans think? These are all questions we are still trying to get a handle on. But, because some aspects of the ways humans think are shared across animals, we can use animal systems to start to answer some of these.
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Kellie Jaremko answered on 3 May 2016:
This is a great question. I think Jonathan’s answer is great. One of the mystery’s of neuroscience and psychiatry is pinpointing how we actually form thoughts. Many connections between brain cells (neurons) are required to send a thought through the brain before you realize it. I don’t think science has the answer to this question yet.
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HarryPotter101 commented on :
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