Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain

At birth, all the large fiber bundles of the brain are already in place. Brain plasticity can, however, reorganize their terminal connections. Millions of synapses undergo plastic changes every time we acquire new knowledge. Enriching children’s environments, for instance, by sending them to school, can deeply enhance their brains and augment them

What molds our brain? Experience. Even into old age, our experiences actually change the physical structure of the brain. When we undergo an experience, our brain cells—called neurons—become active, or “fire.” The brain has one hundred billion

That means, though, that the brain must be profoundly flexible, sensitive, and plastic, and be deeply influenced by events in the outside world. A handful of genes couldn’t predetermine the billions of specific neural connections that make up an adult brain. And, as we’ll see, the more we learn about the brain, the more flexible, sensitive, and pla

Our brains are biologically programmed to be able to deal with constant change. Our neurons and their synapses are in a constant state of flux – the connections are dynamic, changing their size and strength and location; being formed and unformed. This process, known as neuroplasticity, is when our neurons and neural networks change their connectio