Mind & MortalityAnswer
Why Does My Voice Sound Different on a Recording?
You can recognize every word and still be surprised by the speaker. While you talk, your voice reaches you by two routes.
THE QUESTION LIBRARY MIND & MORTALITY
How does a brain made of cells produce thoughts?
THE SHORT ANSWER
Neurons exchange electrical and chemical signals. At synapses, chemical messages can increase or decrease the chance that the receiving cell sends another signal.
WHERE THE EVIDENCE STANDS
How sure are we?
- Neurons communicate using electrical and chemical signals.
- A brain-activity map fully explains a person’s thought.
- We use only 10% of our brains.
Thoughts go with changing activity across brain networks. Scientists can study those links, but a map of activity is not a complete explanation of a thought.
THE LONG ANSWER
THE LONG ANSWER · ABOUT 2 MINUTES
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Sources & further reading
(3)
- Sending Information: Synapses and Neurotransmission ↗Diane A. Kelly, BrainFacts/Society for Neuroscience (2022)
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering ↗Christoff and colleagues, PNAS 106:8719–8724 (2009)
- Do you only use 10 percent of your brain? ↗BrainFacts/Society for Neuroscience (2010)
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