Brainy
What are the two types of neural tissue?
gray matter and white matter
What is the definition of practice?
The repetition of an action with the goal of improvement
How many species of octopuses are there?
200
Octopuses have the same number of neurons as which other animal?
a dog
From a psychological standpoint, what is an earworm?
a form of auditory mental imagery
What is the science-y term for nerve fiber?
axon
What happens to your neurons as you repeat a physical motion?
the myelin sheath gets thicker
Octopuses are mollusks that belong to the order of what?
cephalopoda
How many neurons does an octopus have?
500 million
What percentage of people get an earworm at least once a week?
Bonus: What percentage of people get an earworm multiple times per day?
90%
25%
What is the the stuff that wraps around axons?
myelin
When people are talking about "muscle memory," they are actually referring to what? (because muscles don't have memory)
The increased myelination of the neurons or the brain making more efficient pathways
What does cephalopoda mean?
"head-feet"
Why do octopuses have a unique, creative approach to problem-solving?
Because each of their 8 tentacles essentially has a mind of its own
Which author wrote about earworms before technology for listening to things was even invented?
Mark Twain
What does myelin do and why is it important?
insulation for the nerves that prevents energy loss as electric signals travel from brain through rest of body (keeps signals fast and moving in right direction)
Mastery of a skill depends on which two things?
1) amount of practice
2) quality and effectiveness of that practice
Octopus structure and function has inspired research into what?
Building flexible robots
What are the three structures that contain an octopus's neurons?
central brain, optic lobes, tentacles
What do scientist say is the reason that tunes get so easily stuck in our heads?
Trick question: they do not know
What is the job of the gray matter in the brain?
processes information in brain, sending signals and sensory stimuli to nerve cells
What are the four things you should do to practice more effectively?
intense focus, a slow start, frequent repetition with allotted breaks, practice in your brain
The human brain works like a body map, but the octopus brain works like a what?
behavior library
What percentage of an octopus's neurons are in each of the 3 major neuron-housing structures?
central brain: 10%
optic lobes: 30%
tentacles: 60%
What is one theory about why auditory (sound) stimuli get stuck in our head more easily than visual or taste stimuli?
Because tunes are like habits that are moving forward in time and can’t be paused easily to focus on one individual moment