Question 2: How many senses does a human being have?
A: 5 is definitely wrong. Aristotle first gave us this notion, and he wrote a lot of things that were wrong - like our hearts did the thinking.
Nope, apart from the 5 obvious, we also have 4 others, giving us at least 9 in total:
1. Thermoception - sensing heat on our skin
2. Equilibrioception - Sense of balance (from the inner ear)
3. Nociception - Pain. Although the brain has no pain receptors. At all - which is why you can be awake during brain surgery. Headaches do not come from our heads.
Don't ask me how, but this shows why you feel pain
4. Proprioception - the unconscious knowledge of where our body parts are without being able to see or feel them.
This is the agreed minimum, but the list can go on. A lot
These answers went on a bit of a tangent
SportingNonsence wrote:
Obviously 6 because they made a film called the Sixth Sense and they dont lie in cinemas, its against the law:
As Prime Minister, I, Boris Johnson have created a new law saying that thou must not lie in the cinema
rodda agreed:
6, i see dead people
Alex153 was close though, and was rewarded with points:
Last time I checked they were up to 10 different senses
The number of ways information is exchangeable in the brain is greater than the number of atoms in the universe, so however much of the brain we use, we could all, obviously, do a little better
If you're alive, it's pink - lovely, wonderful, fresh oxygenated blood keeps your brain powered, and gives it colour. If you're dead, then your brain will be grey - but that it is obviously the least of your problems right now.
Interestingly, the way male and female brains are wired up is vastly different, so the 'Mars and Venus' theory appears to have some truth - incredibly, the hugely different wiring gives exactly the same output
A: A lot of you clung to the hope it did nothing, and some even suggested it helped your brain. You got 0 points, and are known as students. I'll be joining you soon.
Those who got -10 points said it killed them. This was a rumour made up in the 19th century by nasty people who wanted it banned. In fact, in Sweden, moderate alcohol consumption was shown to actually help mice create more brain cells, but that probably wasn't the most reliable result. Given the answer is that it slows new cells growing.
Alcohol abuse can ruin your body. This is what it does to your liver
And it mucks up the workings of your brain.
A hangover is caused by the brain being dehydrated, so drink water to cure it. The brain shrinks, tugging on the membrane, which causes the pain. You could stick a knife in your head and feel nothing.
You can drink beer out of a bottle by letting air in because of that groove on your upper lip, which nobody knows the name for. Now you do - it's called a philtrum.
7: What's at least as effective as drugs in curing depression?
A: For those of you who answered death, I'd like to quote you some Stalin:
Death solves all problems - no man, no problem
So don't get yourself in any shape related to a murderous dictator.
The answer sex was popular. But no, that's not it.
2 things are suggested that are at least as effective are:
a/ Walking/exercise
b/ Meditation, which is the more interesting one.
Research using Tibetan monks showed you can meditate and think about 'unconditioning loving-kindness and compassion', your brain will produce its own dopamine - drugs stops you doing this. So you can, through training, make yourself cheerful again. This is how placebos work - and shows you just how amazingly powerful belief is
8: What way are you shown in a mirror when standing in front of it?
A: The world's worst phrased question, this was the red herring, as the obvious answer was true. I think all of you got 10 points.
Here's the interesting, and extremely incredible part:
Our bodies have a strong left-right symmetry, and we try to interpret the reflection as a rotation about a central axis. We imagine the world in front of the mirror has been rotated through 180 degrees about the mirror's vertical axis, and it has arrived behind the mirror where we see the image.
But (here it gets very interesting), if we imagine the world to have been rotated about a horizontal axis running across the mirror, this would leave you standing on your head, but would keep the left and right sides of your body in the expected positions. The image would be inverted top to bottom, rather than left to right.
So what you actually see in a mirror is your way of interpreting it, not the true image. So everything you see in a mirror could be called a lie.
And that is why the brain is so interesting. It does things you weren't even aware of, and makes this world seem a little more sane.
Crommy wrote: 5: What effect does alcohol have on brain cells?
A: A lot of you clung to the hope it did nothing, and some even suggested it helped your brain. You got 0 points, and are known as students. I'll be joining you soon.
Those who got -10 points said it killed them. This was a rumour made up in the 19th century by nasty people who wanted it banned. In fact, in Sweden, moderate alcohol consumption was shown to actually help mice create more brain cells, but that probably wasn't the most reliable result. Given the answer is that it slows new cells growing.
Alcohol abuse can ruin your body. This is what it does to your liver
And it mucks up the workings of your brain.
A hangover is caused by the brain being dehydrated, so drink water to cure it. The brain shrinks, tugging on the membrane, which causes the pain. You could stick a knife in your head and feel nothing.
You can drink beer out of a bottle by letting air in because of that groove on your upper lip, which nobody knows the name for. Now you do - it's called a philtrum.
yup, that's right. don't drink alcohol as you only have one liver. smoke marijuana instead since you have millions of brain cells to kill
Crommy wrote: 1. What has a 3 second memory?
A: Nothing really - and most certainly not a goldfish
It has a memory span of at least 3 months, and can distinguish between different shapes, colours, and sounds.
here's proof that fish can memorize
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"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
