3.5 stars—very interesting book and written in a way wherein the neuroscience is digestible, interesting, and relatable. Sometimes I found the analogies lacking sharpness or repetitive, but overall a great read that’s very informative and encouraging.
- The neuroplasticity of the brain; may we never stop learning! The more we learn, the easier it is to learn more as new inputs shape our brain. Environment + experience are critical. Ex: nun study—keep brain sharp by challenging it and it can stave off dementia.
- Structure // function, ex: violin vs piano player. Repetition and tying actions to goals + rewards is critical for encoding new information. Emotions trigger memories and how things get encoded.
- Plasticity degrades over time due to encoded information, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Older brains can perform certain auto functions more quickly—just be open to new experiences!
- Moving from short term to long term memory- super interesting, ex remembering a name vs a random street on holiday.
- Different layers of the brain operate at different speeds // functions; **check brand study on societal change. Conscious and subconscious thinking for different operations
- Associative learning
- Variance in flexibility: visual is less flexible than motor due to function