뇌과학, 1.3㎏의 우주를 탐험하다

The brain comprises only 2% of the human body. Its weight is also only about 1.2 to 1.4 kilograms. In terms of size and weight, it is a small organ. However, it is composed of approximately 100 billion nerve cells and about a quadrillion synapses (neural cell connections), and is a very special and important organ that alone uses 20% of the body’s energy. As the control tower of the human body, it controls the functions necessary for survival, such as maintaining alertness and constancy, regulating metabolism, etc., and performs high-level activities that influence our lives such as senses, memory, movement, emotion, language, learning, and judgment. It works systematically, rapidly, and accurately, but it also causes errors such as memory distortion and cognitive slippage. The brain, like the universe, is filled with unsolved mysteries.

Brain science is the study of the human brain. In addition to discovering the genetic laws, it studies the human mind through scientific in-depth explanations, such as the causes of all human behaviors. It studies all aspects of the brain, including the structure and development of the brain, and the interactions among neurons. Because it has infinite potential, there is a considerable amount of investment in brain science being made around the world.

How will our lives change if we unlock the secrets of the brain? In this issue, we will look into what brain science is and how various brain science researches will affect the future of humankind.