 The Thursday Thesis - 29/09/2016
Like a Leaky bucket... Drip...Drip...Drip... That’s the sound of our brain, leaking away anything it has learnt, but that isn’t needed. Drip... Over time, our brains physically re-form themselves to perform the functions they do most often, and that’s why we “use it or lose” it – as far as skills go. Drip... It’s called Neuroplasticity, the ongoing “soft” state of the human brain, restlessly self-improving and sleeplessly trying to get more, for less. Drip... Neural pathways are the connections between nerve cells, and the human brain has a staggeringly large number of them: around 1,000 Trillion of them. Drip... Each nerve cell – or Neurone – is networked with others, which – in turn – connect with even more. The result is that each neurone interacts with all the other neurones in the brain via it’s connections and their neighbours. Drip... Redundant connections are reconfigured and recycled to help better performance of new skills. Drip... That’s why we forget what we once used to know - and why we vaguely remember what to do as we start to do it again. Drip... Learning new skills, thinking in new ways, learning another language, and any other new activity cause our brains to change their own structure: we are endlessly self-improving. Drip... The old stuff drips away from the leaky bucket of our brains. Perhaps the bucket empties almost completely, and only the deeply-learned knowledge of our earlier lives is left? Drip... Dementia (from the Latin de, meaning from; and mens, meaning mind) is a rising problem in the UK, reaching much higher levels than ever seen before. The question is “Why?” Drip... I submit the suggestion that we’ve become too comfortable, less involved in the world, retreating back into our lounges and dens; becoming passive spectators of a televised World from the sidelines and sofas of a life lived vicariously by remote control. Drip... Unstimulated and dumbed-down, what reason does our brain have to grow more connections? Drip... And why would it labour to pack itself with even more cells? Drip... For the same reason that a muscle will not grow if it is never used. Drip... Learn something new, every day, and re-fill your leaky bucket. However slowly it is leaking, it is still leaking. Drip... May your own bucket run over with its fullness, today. Evermore. © Neil Cowmeadow 2016 Please Like and Share The Thursday Thesis with your friends, family, your cat and anyone else. I’d love to hear your comments, along with any ideas you’d care to hurl at me. [email protected]
1 Comment
Charlotte Reid
9/1/2017 20:52:14
I agree in part but having looked after several alzheimer sufferers, I would resist using the statement that it was because they became a couch potato. More that they lead a full and active life and then nobody cared, they were left to their own devices which in turn led them to hibernate from the world, becoming more introverted and this I do believe affects peoples minds and health although Terry Pratchet was an example really that it can happen to anyone, however using your mind and learning as much as you say, has got to be good for you on so many levels! Leave a Reply. |
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