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Pushing the Limits: Brainpower Study Guide

Terms in this set (29)

How heavy is the brain?
3 pounds
How many instructions can the brain process in one second?
100 trillion
What does the "disaster" part of the brain trigger the release of?
Adrenaline
How does the brain make time run slower?
The brain speeds up, takes in information so time seems to slow down
How did the firemen survive the fire storm?
Their brains sped up, they acted without thinking, and they fled
Where is the urge to eat found in the brain?
The walnut sized "want" center
List some of the fish parts Steve ate to stay alive.
Skin, spine, eye, liver, gut, roe (fish eggs)
How much vitamin C does a Chili contain?
4 times that in an orange
Why do people enjoy eating chili peppers?
Our brain overrides the discomfort of burning so that pain killing endorphines will be released
How did Steve's brain trick him into eating the fish parts?
The brain transformed the disgusting parts into delicious treats
How many days was Steve stuck at sea?
76 days
How does the pleasure center respond to chocolate versus kissing?
Eating chocolate gives more intense and longer lasting stimulation of the pleasure center than kissing does
What part of the brain controls hunger?
The "want" center
What does the effect of the hormone "orexin" have on the human body?
It makes us more alert and improves muscle efficiency and problem solving skills.
How does the brain change your body during starvation?
The brain makes us slow down, cuts off energy to nonessential processes
After 3 weeks of no food, what does the brain tell the body to do?
To slow down metabolism, slow growth of cells, turns finally to eat (digest) muscle tissue
How fast does the brain heat up?
1 degree every 5 minutes
How quickly will you die if the brain cannot cool itself?
50 minutes
How hot is the cockpit of a race car?
125-140 degrees Fahrenheit
What is one theory on how the brain stays cool?
Selective cooling of circulating blood at the forehead
How does the brain put us to sleep?
It releases melatonin
What does the brain do every night?
Slows us down
What were some of the side effects of David not sleeping?
He made silly mistakes; his thought center was the first thing to go; he starts imagining things and begins talking to a rubber duck
What part of the brain does not shut off when we sleep?
Hearing
What part of the brain shuts down while dreaming?
The logic center
Why do we not move while dreaming?
Our brain sends signals to the spinal cord temporarily paralyzing us so we do not act out our wildest dreams
Do we dream the entire night?
No
What occurs during sleep to our memories?
They get filed away and memories are consolidated
What is lucid dreaming?
When you become aware that you are dreaming without waking and have the power to control the dream
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