how do we learn?
what’s the neuroscience behind learning?
what happens in the brain:
new info → brain create new connections
and not new cells!
the brain — basics
- brain = billions of neurons = network
- neuron =
- dendrites: receive info
- axon: send info
- neurons communicate w/ each other via
- electrical signal: transmission within a neuron (= “action potential”)
- chemical signal: transmission between neurons
- synapse: small gaps between neurons
- neuron =
when we learn something…
→ neurons in different parts of the brain communicate w/ each other
if two neurons frequently interact → they create a connection that allows them to transmit messages more easily and accurately
so when you’re a beginner at something,
→ the connections between the brain areas (cortex) are still weak
the more you practice,
→ the stronger the connections between the brain areas involved
⇒ faster and more efficient signals
if you stop practising,
→ the connections weaken
BUT muscle memory!
i.e. the stronger the connections, the more resilient they are to lack of practice ⇒ deeply ingrained
sources: