Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics

Clio Dakolias
AP Biology

Current Event #1

September 12, 2017

“Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics”

Sanders, Laura. “Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics.” Science News, 12 Sept. 2017, www.sciencenews.org/article/brain-flexibility-learning?mode.

Everyone is constantly learning, taking in new information, whether they are actively trying to or not. While neuroscientists still do not have an exact idea of how the brain learns, they are beginning to understand how the brain takes information and grasps onto it. The article “Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics” by Laura Sanders discusses a new promising line of work which has great potential to help scientists fully understand how learning occurs. Previously, scientists believed only one region of the brain was responsible for learning, but now it is known that it takes many regions of the brain working together to retain information. A neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, Danielle Bassett, is pushing boundaries to define the new field of network neuroscience. Brains that learn best have flexible networks, and researchers are now rushing to test this information and how brain flexibility can be increased to improve learning. Even when learning something simple, many parts of the brain are put to use. In many complex situations, learning calls up many brain areas, integrating information from multiple sources. Some good learners are have weaker neural connections in other areas, such as self-control or decision making. Studies have been done to capture brains in the process of learning, in an attempt to understand brain flexibility and neural connections. It has been discovered that brain flexibility, while important, can be bad if found in excess. High brain flexibility is has been linked to schizophrenia, and scientists are learning the balance and the right amount of flexibility to increase learning ability.

There are millions of children and adults throughout the world with learning disabilities. The new branch of network neuroscience proves the relevance in that it can help change the lives of many by helping them retain information. This type of science could also help scientists understand why people learn in different ways, as some are visual learners, some auditory, some kinesthetic, and so on. Understanding why people learn in different ways could help teachers tailor classes so as to help everyone learn in their own way of retaining information. With all the schooling occurring throughout the world, it is unfair to imagine not being able to learn because of their brain, which is impossible to control. The article helps us to understand that if there is any possible way we could improve the education of millions, it would be an atrocity not to further push boundaries in neuroscience.

I chose to read this article due to its importance and relevance in society, and I was not let down. The author did an excellent job explaining a topic that I had almost no knowledge of, and after reading it I understand it very well. Sanders did an excellent job on selecting information pertaining to the topic, including diagrams, statistics, and quotations from experts, all of which helped the reader to better understand the topic. The article was a little repetitive, making it slightly difficult to follow, as well as keep the focus of the reader. I would suggest the author cut down on the repeated facts, and give background on previous ways our brains were believed to learn in order to put the study in context and show how important it is. All in all, the article was very well written and concise.