Over half a million scientific papers a year are churned out on brain research alone. But the staggering facts are not only what we don’t know, but also what we already know of the enormous capacity and the complex functioning of the brain itself. Let’s consider a few examples of what we know about our amazing brain. As we proceed, please keep in mind that while the astronomical figures we’ll state must be estimated (because such numbers are impossible to count in reality), they are nonetheless plausible estimates.
What Constitutes Our Amazing Brain?
Our brains are made up of cells (neurons and glia cells) and their connections, which we call axons and dendrites. In typical generous fashion, God packed approximately one hundred billion neuron cells into our brain, plus a larger number of supporting glia cells — enough to do amazing things, which as of yet we have not even dreamed. We should be encouraged to understand that with His empowerment of our brains, we can fashion our little worlds and create a heaven with Him right inside our heads.
Neurons, Dendrites, and Synapses
Each neuron may make up to several hundred thousand connections with other cells in the brain. These connections are made via minute “cords/tubes”, called dendrites and synapses. If laid out in a single line, the dendrites in one brain would stretch for 100,000 miles!
There are over 100,000 chemical reactions occurring in the brain every second that aid the electronic messages that the neurons generate to travel these highways. There are trillions of gaps in the communication cords called synapses, each with a transmitter side and a receiver side to transmit and receive the message passed across the gap by chemicals.
Neurotransmitters
The chemicals that pass across the gap are called neurotransmitters. All of the chemicals are manufactured on site. Neurotransmitters make communication possible from one part of our brain to another. Additionally, the selection of neurotransmitter chemical, the strength of the signals, their location, and how many of them are generated cause us to understand our thoughts and pass them along, together with our non-conscious communications. The activity that goes on in our amazing brain is mind boggling. Is it odd that “our mind can’t fathom what goes on in our mind” because it is so overwhelming?
What Does Our Brain Do?
Data Storage
Our brains store over 1000 bits of information every second from birth to death. Experiments now indicate that we actually remember everything that happens to us in our lifetime. We just may not be able to recall it all. When the Bible says that God will open the books of our lives and examine everything we have ever done, it is now demonstrable that this is no glib stretch of religious fantasy. Apparently, God knows about this permanent record. He installed it!
All of the communication power of the world’s telephone systems is equal to about one gram of our brain. One gram of our brain is roughly the size of a pea. To avoid overload, the brain can filter out and limit our focus to just a few signals and yet store all the other signals for retrieval if needed.
NOT Like a Computer? NO! Much Better
Unlike a computer that operates sequentially, the brain is designed to function in parallel with multiple channels of communication running at the same time. A computer is not even a near comparison to the human brain. Neuroscientists don’t have much of an idea of how the brain really works — even in seemingly simple operations like hearing. Simple is complex in the brain.
Complex Is An Understatement
We aren’t conscious of it at the time, but when we walk we actually fall forward. The brain has to register this and correct the fall by catching us in the act. Then it must signal many muscles to react and halt the fall with a well-placed step as we fall forward again. All this happens while we create a supper menu in our mind, appreciate the flowers and feel the stimulation of the breeze! The act of seeing, which is an integral part of all this, is in itself an unbelievably complex operation.
We know that the brain operates by electrochemical responses. But quantum physicists think that even superconductivity and electron tunneling may be involved as well.
Unexplainable, Other than an Act of God
Is it any wonder that many scientists conclude that the brain can only be explained as an act of God? How majestic are your works, O Lord! I find it hard not to believe in God when confronted with the unbelievable detail of our universe. Scientific theories cannot explain the most astounding factor of all: namely, the mystery of life itself. How can you explain what you don’t know? Belief in a Creator is certainly intellectually respectable and the best explanation of life as we find it.
Faith Is An Appropriate Response to Our Amazing Brain
Incidentally, how can we accept an atheistic scientist’s denial of God in the words “too big a leap of faith to accept” when they can’t tell us where life came from. Nor can they tell us where the universe itself (which they diligently study) came from? How do they know it is too big a leap of faith? With their self-confessed limited knowledge, how can they be so sure there is no God? Dogmatic atheism makes sense only if the atheist is taking into account all the facts, which he is not doing because he doesn’t know them. His lack of knowledge logically denies him the right to pronounce categorically on the issue. We call a person to faith in God since it is the best deduction from the facts we know. Faith is an appropriate response for making our discoveries of God possible.
Yet We Use Only One Tenth of Our Amazing Brain
And yet, even though the brain is so powerful, we only use about one tenth of a percent of the brain’s potential at any given moment. The reasons for this are many, including need for rest, laziness, a lack of efficient use, sabotage by our own emotions, etc.
We stand in awe at this created marvel: our amazing brain.
DISCOVER THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE!
Lean into the whole truth. Discover the truth of who YOU are — the “Real You” — and who your children truly are. Discover how to best engage your children in finding the whole truth. INNERKINETICS, Your Blueprint to Excellence and Happiness, is a great resource.
YOUR CHILD IS ALSO UNIQUE
It may surprise you, but your child is most probably a different temperament. They are unique individuals too. So even if they are the same temperament (two letters), they may be a different type (four letters). And the strength of their drives will different from yours as well. Your InnerKinetics (temperament) is not genetically passed on. Therefore, it is exceedingly important to understand your child. I’m a Keeper! is the resource you need to make that journey.