Why Should You Care About the Human Brain?

Why Should You Care About the Human Brain?.... How do you get things done?

A few years ago, I certainly wasn't the kind of person who could handle this.

It controls everything from thoughts and emotions to your ideas to walk and talk.

But There were times when I felt like I was going from one thing to another.

Today, I’m going to share Understanding how the brain works can help you make better decisions, and improve mental health.

Can you relate?

The extensive study of psychology and neuroscience has led me to present this selection of 30 remarkable characteristics of the human brain.

Studies conducted at Harvard Medical School as well as by the NIH and the British Psychological Society present these findings.

The information presented in this post will astonish every reader who wants to know more about human behavior…

Also read: 15 Psychology Facts About Human Behaviour | Insights into Personality & Love

50 Interesting Facts About the Human Brain

1. Your Brain Uses 20% of Your Body’s Energy.

Did you know that Despite making up only 2% of your body weight, your brain drinks

especially in great quantity about 20% of your energy? This is because neurons are all the time firing signals, even when you’re sleeping. Source: National Institutes of Health.

2. The Average Brain Has About 86 Billion Neurons

Neurons are the building blocks of your brain, responsible for communicating information.

In the human brain, some 86 billion neurons form 100 trillion connections to each other.

That’s more connections than there are stars in the Milky Way! Learn more about neurons here.

3. Your Brain Can Generate Enough Electricity to Power a Light Bulb

The electrical activity in your brain is so powerful that it could happen in a certain way,

it may not be true or happen in that way light up a small LED bulb. Imagine that next time you’re brainstorming ideas!

4. Sleep Cleans Your Brain.

Yes, according to scientific studies, sleep functions as a "cleaning process."

The brain uses a system known as the glymphatic system to eliminate waste and toxins accumulated during wakefulness.

The system operates better when we sleep and is employed for "cleaning" the brain.

This is why getting enough rest is important for mental clarity and long-term brain health. Read more about sleep hygiene tips.

5. The Brain Is More Active at Night Than During the Day

Respectively to public opinion, the brain does not turn off during nighttime hours.

Your brain tends to be more active during REM sleep even though this is the stage when dreams normally occur.

6. Humans Have Shrinking Brains

Did you know over the past 10,000 years, the average human brain has shrunk by about 10%?

Scientists believe this may be due to changes in diet, food, and lifestyle. Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Is it possible to increase brain size?

These results signal that aerobic exercise is neuroprotective and that starting an exercise

with a set of rules about food and exercise later in life is not futile for either increasing cognition or treatment to improve brain volume.

7. Laughter Really Is Good for Your Brain.

Laughing releases endorphins, which reduce stress. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air and improves your mood.

Activate and relieve your stress response. So go ahead—watch that funny cat video guilt-free!

8. Multitasking Is a Myth.

Your brain isn’t to plan and make a drawing of how something will be made to focus on multiple tasks at one time.

Instead, it switches rapidly between tasks, which can lead to decreased efficiency. Discover ways to improve focus…

9. Memories Aren’t Stored in One Place.

Different files on a computer and memories are divided across different regions of the brain.

When long-term memories form (a day, a week) or last as long as a lifetime. This is why recalling an event can feel like piecing together a puzzle…

10. Music Boosts Brain Function.

Did you ever hear that listening to music activates different areas of the brain to increase creativity and memory?

The action of keeping. The research shows classical music, in particular, has been shown to have cognitive benefits…

More Fascinating Facts About the Human Brain

11. The Brain Can’t Feel Pain.

While your brain is responsible for transmitting pain signals from the rest of your body, the brain has billions of neurons, it doesn’t have pain receptors itself.

Headache pain comes from other nerves; the brain itself doesn't feel pain, for example, inside blood vessels in your head, telling your brain something is wrong.

This is why surgeries like brain mapping can be performed while the patient is awake. Source: Harvard Medical School…

12. Stress Literally Shrinks Your Brain

Chronic stress can reduce the size of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long time.

The part of the brain that helps with memory, learning, and spatial navigation.

Our brain starts working in a way that isn't helpful or healthy makes decisions, and regulates emotions.

Managing stress through mindfulness or therapy can help protect your brain health. Discover stress management techniques here…

16. Alcohol Doesn’t Kill Brain Cells.

Contrary to popular belief, keeping within reasonable alcohol limits doesn’t destroy neurons.

This is proven wrong. However, too much alcohol consumption normally causes damage to neural connections while harming memory formation and decision-making ability.

17. Meditation Changes Your Brain Structure

Studies show that regular meditation increases gray matter density in areas that make a connection between people with attention, emotional rules, and empathy.

Emotions, memory, speech, seeing, hearing, and decision-making. Meditation can change the brain's structure. Learn how to start meditating today…

18. You Can’t Tick Yourself.

The cerebellum, a part of your brain, predicts your movements and cancels out a feeling that is caused by your own touch.

That’s why tickling yourself feels so… underwhelming. You cannot physically check off a task.

19. The Brain Loves Routine.

Your brain craves predictability because it keeps and protects from waste and loss of energy by automating repetitive tasks.

This is why habits are so hard to break—but also why building good ones can transform your life.

20. Colors affect your mood.

Brain activity in specific areas changes when different colors enter the visual field, thus affecting emotional states as well as behavior patterns.

The color blue creates a calm effect, but the color red promotes alertness in the brain. Explore color psychology further…

More Fascinating Facts About the Human Brain.

21. The Brain Has a "Negativity Bias"

Your brain is more attuned to negative experiences than positive ones.

This evolutionary trait helped our ancestors avoid danger but can make modern life feel stressful. Practicing gratitude can help offset this bias. Learn how gratitude rewires your brain.

22. Smell Is the Sense Most Closely Linked to Memory

The olfactory bulb, where smells are processed, is directly connected to the hippocampus and amygdala—the parts of the brain that handle memory and emotion. That’s why certain scents can evoke vivid memories or emotions.

23. Exercise Makes New Neurons

Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, grows new neurons in the hippocampus.

This improves memory and protects against age-related cognitive decline. Get brain-healthy exercise tips here.

24. The Left and Right Hemispheres Talk to Each Other through the Corpus Callosum

While many myths say we’re "left-brained" or "right-brained,"

both hemispheres work together flawlessly thanks to the corpus callosum, a bundle of nerves that connects them.

25. Dreams Process Emotions.

Research shows dreams might be a way for the brain to process unresolved emotions and experiences from the day.

REM sleep in particular is key to emotional regulation.

26. Mirror Neurons Allow Us to Feel with Others.

These special neurons fire when you do something and when you see someone else do the same.

They’re what allow us to empathize and connect with others on an emotional level.

27. The brain favors faces over other visual stimuli.

Humans have a dedicated area of the brain called the fusiform face area (FFA) that’s responsible for faces. That’s why we can spot a familiar face in a crowd so fast.

28. Bilingualism Boosts Executive Function.

Speaking two or more languages enhances executive function (problem-solving, multitasking, focus) and delays dementia by several years.

29. Gut Bacteria Affects Brain Health Through the Gut-Brain Axis

The gut and brain talk through the vagus nerve and influence mood, stress, and decision-making. A healthy gut microbiome supports better mental health. Find out what foods support gut health.

30. Dopamine Drives Motivation, Not Just Pleasure

Not what you thought, dopamine isn’t just about pleasure; it’s about motivation and reward-seeking behavior. Low dopamine levels = procrastination and lack of drive.

Even More Mind-Blowing Facts

31. The Brain Can Rewire Itself After Injury.

Neuroplasticity allows our brain to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections after harm done to a person or trauma. This willingness to change to suit different conditions is what enables stroke survivors to regain loss.

32. Laughter Activates Multiple Areas of the Brain.

The brain activates five different areas when you laugh because these areas regulate emotions, process senses, and control movements.

33. Your Brain Filters Out Unnecessary Information

To prevent overload, our brain filters out related details—like the feeling of clothes on our skin or background noise—so we and you can focus on what matters most.

34. Reading Fiction Improves Empathy

Study show I am that reading concerned with fiction improves something—our ability to understand others the way we see something. It activates the same neural networks used in real-life social interactions.

Frequently Searched Questions (FSQs) (Continued)

Q: How does aging affect the brain?

As we age, certain cognitive functions like process speed and memory may be less. However, staying mentally and physically active can slow down these effects by a large amount.

Q: Can diet improve brain health?

You know foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins—like salmon, blueberries, and leafy greens—help brain function.

Q: What happens if you stop learning new things?

Without mental activity, the brain’s neural memory weakens over time. Lifelong learning keeps your mind sharp and reduces the risk of dementia.

Q: Why do we yawn?

Yawning may cool down the brain or signal a need for increased oxygen. Is yawning due to a lack of oxygen? (yes) The interesting thing is that seeing someone else yawn has a similar response due to mirror neurons.