THINKER'S ALMANAC - July 22

Subject:  Neuropsychology - Neurons

Event:  Birthday of neuropsychologist Donald Hebb, 1904 

The brain is a monstrous, beautiful mess. Its billions of nerve cells - called neurons - lie in a tangled web that displays cognitive powers far exceeding any of the silicon machines we have built to mimic it. -William F. Allman 

To understand how our brain works, we must understand neurons.  Our brains have a lot of neurons:  128 billion, which is more than the number of stars in the Milky Way.  

Donald Hebb, born on this day in 1904 in Nova Scotia, was a man who helped us better understand our brain and our mind.  He is known today as the “father of neuropsychology,” the field of study that merges the study of the brain -- neuroscience -- with the study of the mind -- psychology  (1).

Hebb articulated how the parts of each neuron work and how different neurons connect with each other in our brain’s neural network.  The process of thinking and learning is both electrical and chemical.  Our brain’s neurons continually fire, sending off messages to each other.   These messages begin in the “arm” of the neuron -- called the axon.  When a neuron fires, the electrical signal moves through the axon and into the dendrites, which reach out toward other neurons.  The connections between neurons are called synapses, which is a narrow gap between two neurons.  The electrical signal is transmitted across the synapse with the help of chemicals.  

                                                         Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

In 1949, Hebb published the book The Organization of Behavior, which introduced his theory of learning, known today as Hebbian learning.  The key to Hebb’s theory is repetition.  When we are first introduced to new learning, the neural connections are weak.  The connections become stronger and stronger, however, each time the same neuron connections are made.  Hebb summarized his theory with the following concise and catchy slogan:  “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Imagine, for example, you are learning to play the guitar.  The first time you learn to play a C chord, you struggle to place your fingers correctly on the guitar’s fretboard.  As you continue practicing, however, the placement of your fingers in the correct position becomes easier and easier.  Soon, with repeated practice, you don’t even need to look at the fretboard because forming a C chord has become so automatic, you don’t even need to think about it anymore.

Challenge:  Your Brain Matters: The fields of neuroscience and neuropsychology are constantly offering new insights into the human brain.  Do a bit of research to find brain facts that will help you understand your own brain and mind better.  Your brain is your most important possession, and, like it or not, you’ll need it for the rest of your life.  What are some facts about the human brain that will help you to get to know your own brain better.

Sources:

1-Ferguson, Sarah.  “Donald Olding Hebb”  Can-acn.org.

2-Barrett, Lisa Feldman. Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.  New York:  Mariner Books, 2020: 31.