The Cracked Acorn: Our Brain

Thank you for making us wonderfully complex! (Psalm.139:14)

How often have we seen others staring into space, and we have wondered,”What is on their minds?” When someone has cut you off in traffic and caused you to call on General Motors to save you, you wish you could know what caused this!”

The issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND attempted to explain how we deal with problems and everyday life. This six-page article gives reasons for knowing what goes on in our mind, which lives in the marvelous organ of our mortal body, the brain. How is it possible that among all the billions on our planet, there are differences that label us as “individuals?” The following attempts explain why we are so “wonderfully made.”

The brain contains two types of cells: neurons, which number in the billions, and glia, which fill the spaces between neurons. Neurons are microscopic processors, each on its own or networking with hundreds or thousands of other neurons. It is believed that neurons fire back and forth to each other in a chemical or bioreactive code. This firing (synapse) happens within 1/1,000 of a second. This is an open field of study that is like the “boiling kettle of fish” lots are going on, and the results are too hot to handle. Most neuroscientists do agree that neurons can make assignments for other neurons to take over “housekeeping tasks” and are the interneurons dedicated to important ongoing tasks vital to the health of the brain. For years, it was thought that neurons fire through tiny tubes(axons) and, therefore, may have been the reason that some people happen to be able to remember vital information and do well at learning; so the shorter the axon, the quicker fire or coded information to/from the neurons or to the network.

But along came Theodore Bullock (1915-2005), who wrote a bold publication that offers an even better reason that our brains are smarter than we credit them. Bullock does not kick out the axons. He adds that the cell membranes of the neurons are coated with neurotransmitters that are in constant touch with all of the neurons. To further complicate but also interesting is that the glia cells are able on their own, apart from the neurons, to do processing and storage. Glia stays saddled up like the Pony Express are ready to ride to/from the network to assist in processing neuron codes.

“Why are the capabilities of the human brain so superior to all animals?” The answer may lie in our brains to do vast amounts of networking. Our brain waves are on a low frequency while animals are in a high range. Why? The answer is waiting for someone to see it. (Genesis 2:7)

Savants are afflicted by the ability to devote all neurons to a total intensive task. They can hear music and play it on the piano. They know the day of the week for any year and possibly what the weather was like for that particular season of the year. They can memorize thousands of books but cannot dress themselves or cross the street unaided. The more we learn about our brain, the more we see why there are good cooks, carpenters, musicians, doctors, caregivers, animal lovers, writers, and many others who contribute much to all of our lives.

“I could while away the hours, conferrin’ with flowers, consulting with the rain, if I only had a brain.
I’d unravel every riddle for any individ’le, in trouble or in pain If you only had a brain.
Oh, I could tell you why, the ocean’s near the shore, I could think as I never thought before!
I would not be filled all full of stuffin’, life would be a ding-a-derry, if I only had a brain.”
(the STRAWMAN’s words from The Wizard of Oz)