105: The Structure of Your Brain

Questions about the Video File:

1. What is neuroplasticity?
2. Discuss some of our misconceptions about our brains.
3. What are brain cells called?
4. What are the three principal ways through which you can change the mechanism of your brain to optimize learning?
5. What is stroke and how can it influence the function of your brain?

General Questions:

1. Discuss some ways through which you can take care of your brain.
2. How do you define ‘mind’, and how is it different from brain?
3. What types of food are good for your brain?
4. Is your entire identity in the hands of your brain?
5. Do you approve of organ donation for brain-dead people?

Related Quotes:

• “Tears come from the heart and not from the brain” (Leonardo da Vinci).
• “I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells” (Dr. Seuss).
• “I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose” (Arthur Conan Doyle).

Idioms, Proverbs and Expressions:

1. Knock some sense into someone’s head: Make somebody learn to behave in a more sensible way:
   • Look at Robert! What he does is all perverse. We need to knock some sense into his head before he literally sells us down the river.
2. Absent-minded: Likely to forget things easily, forgetful:
   • Grandpa has become truly absent-minded these days. In fact, his mind is such a sieve.
3. Brain teaser: A difficult problem that challenges your brain to be solved:
   • As your body needs exercise, your brain, too, needs brain teasers to stay sharp.
4. Use/exercise your brain: Think deeply and use your intelligence:
   • Instead of crying over spilt milk, use your head and do something.
5. Have a brainwave: Develop a clever idea all of a sudden:
   • Archimedes had a brainwave on measuring the density of objects while taking a bath.

Words and Phrases:

1. Brain drain: Immigration of professional and skillful people into developed countries in search of better financial and social conditions:
   • Brain drain is a serious issue that requires immediate attention for the governments of underdeveloped countries.  
2. Brainless: Lacking intelligence and totally stupid
   • Some people consider boxing and bullfighting brainless sports.
3. Brainstorming: Thinking about a problem in order to come up with practical solutions:
   • Before writing your argumentative essay, it’s better for you to have some brainstorming over the topic.
4. No-brainer: A clear decision that does not require so much intelligence
   • Hey boy, take it easy. This no-brainer is not that complicated.
5. Gray matter: Referring to your brain or intelligence:
   1. What he has been saying is just nonsense. It seems he desperately lacks in gray matter.
6. Have something on the brain: To be so preoccupied with something that you cannot think of anything else:
   • Sandra is as stubborn as a mule. When she has something on the brain, she cannot think of anything else.
7. Rack one’s brain: To do your best to remember something or come up with a solution to a problem:
   • No matter how hard I was racking my brain, I couldn’t remember my colleague’s telephone number.
8. Beat one’s brains out: To think about something so intensely that you become tired soon:
   • The math problem was terribly hard. We couldn’t solve it, although we beat our brains out on that.
9. Brains behind something: A person who has created or invented something really worthwhile:
   • Mr. Smith is the brains behind this project. If you need to talk to him, you should make an appointment with him asap as he has a pretty hectic schedule.
10. Brainchild: A novel idea that one has thought of by oneself without consulting others:
    • “This new invention is the brainchild of my students” the teacher declared proudly
11. cerebral

Please leave a response to this question as a comment:

How differently would you act if you had general information about the structure and mechanism of your brain?