020. Learning
[audio // English]
In humans, neural complexity begins to increase from birth, peaking at around age 11. After that point, the nervous system begins the process of pruning the unused neurons, moving the brain toward its adult configuration, which is set by around age 15. Some neurogenesis does occur after that, since adults are capable of learning new skills, but humans never again enter a period of such easy skill acquisition as they do in childhood.
Language, sensory perceptions, motor skills--the neural plasticity of a child's brain means they learn almost effortlessly. Expose them to a stimulus and they'll adapt to it. Children can even suffer immense traumatic injury and rewire their brains to work around it, recovering to the point where the injury becomes unnoticeable.
This deep capacity for learning is one of the human species's evolutionary responses. The species stores its memories and survival capabilities externally, in society, rather than in instinct--or rather, the species has evolved a meta-instinct that leads each individual to acquire those externally-stored capabilities in a burst of neural activity during childhood.
[There's the loud thump of an impact, followed immediately by a cracking noise, and then a crash. The Major has just kicked the heavy bag clean off its chain and across the gym. Oops.]
In humans, neural complexity begins to increase from birth, peaking at around age 11. After that point, the nervous system begins the process of pruning the unused neurons, moving the brain toward its adult configuration, which is set by around age 15. Some neurogenesis does occur after that, since adults are capable of learning new skills, but humans never again enter a period of such easy skill acquisition as they do in childhood.
Language, sensory perceptions, motor skills--the neural plasticity of a child's brain means they learn almost effortlessly. Expose them to a stimulus and they'll adapt to it. Children can even suffer immense traumatic injury and rewire their brains to work around it, recovering to the point where the injury becomes unnoticeable.
This deep capacity for learning is one of the human species's evolutionary responses. The species stores its memories and survival capabilities externally, in society, rather than in instinct--or rather, the species has evolved a meta-instinct that leads each individual to acquire those externally-stored capabilities in a burst of neural activity during childhood.
[There's the loud thump of an impact, followed immediately by a cracking noise, and then a crash. The Major has just kicked the heavy bag clean off its chain and across the gym. Oops.]