The principle behind this is that the early development of babies needs some environmental stimuli to promote their intellectual development and brain growth. This is an inspirational concept commonly owned by our modern society: experience will bring changes to the brain, and the richer the experience, the more developed the brain.
2. Whether a specific life experience will produce a biological rational change in the human brain has been debated in philosophy and science for centuries.
1785, Vincenzo Malacarne, an Italian scientist and anatomist, studied some dogs and birds, and made comparative experiments from birth. By dissecting animal carcasses, it is found that some trained animals have more folds and cracks in their brains, which shows that the trained brains have obvious changes. Unfortunately, the research did not continue.
3. In 1960s, the development of new technology provided scientists with new technology to study the brain, which can be used to measure the changes of the brain and evaluate the chemical changes of enzymes and neurotransmitters in the brain.
Mark Rosenzweig of the University of California, Berkeley and two colleagues used these modern technologies to study the brain, using only experimental mice.
Mark Rosenzwick's three environments: put 12 experimental mice in three cages. The first is a standard cage. There are several mice in each cage, and there is enough space, food and water in the cage.
The second kind of cage environment is a more difficult environment, that is, the cage space is narrow and an experimental mouse is stuffed inside alone. Although there is not much space, there is still enough food and water.
The third cage environment is set as a happy living environment. There are six to eight experimental mice in such a big cage. There are all kinds of toys in it, which need to be changed every day, and up to 25 different items can be put in it. Of course, there is plenty of food and water.
These experimental mice lived in the cage of No.3 Middle School for 4- 10 weeks, and then dissected the corpse to measure the brain changes. In order to prevent the interference of human factors, anatomists simply don't know what kind of environment the experimental mouse corpses come from. Then, according to the anatomical results, the significant brain cell growth and neurotransmitter activity were analyzed, measured and weighed.
In the subsequent measurement activities, we also found a brain active enzyme: acetylcholinesterase, which can transmit the pulse of brain cells faster and more effectively.
Compared with the experimental mice living alone in a hard environment, the brains of experimental mice living in happy cages have many changes.
1, the cerebral cortex of experimental rats living in happy cages is obviously heavier and thicker. The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that responds to experience, and is responsible for the body's movement, memory, learning and sensory input: vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell.
2. Besides the discovery of acetylcholinesterase, there are more neurons in the brains of experimental mice living in happy cages. Further research found that the ratio of RNA to DNA in experimental mice living in happy cages was higher, showing more RNA. It can be inferred that the brains of experimental mice in happy cages are engaged in more advanced chemical activities.
3. Synapses. Synapse is the place where two neurons meet in the brain. Most brain activities occur in synapses, and nerve impulses signals are transmitted from one neuron to another or blocked.
Under the electron microscope, scientists found that the experimental mice in the happy cage had 50% more synapses than those in the difficult cage alone, indicating more brain activity.
After ten years' research, Mark Rosenzwick and his two colleagues confidently announced that the anatomical structure and chemicals of human brain have been changed by experience through training experience.
Since the publication of their research, there have been some doubts, focusing on whether the experimental mice are trapped in a small space alone because of stress, rather than the underdeveloped brain caused by the experience environment.
In fact, it seems that this just proves the influence of the experience environment on the brain: it is precisely because of the pressure of solitude and narrow space that the activities of experimental mice are restricted during the 4- 10 week experience, resulting in underdeveloped brains.
In response to the criticism, Mark Rosenzwick and his colleagues began to expand the experiment: experimental rats in happy cages have good living conditions under the same artificial greenhouse conditions; How is it different from wild mice, that is, mice that live in the natural environment and live on their own?
After they caught some mice in the wild, they randomly put them in happy cages under laboratory conditions and lived in the wild under natural conditions. After 4 weeks' dissection, it was found that the brains of experimental mice in the wild natural conditions were obviously larger than those in the happy cage of Youyou Laboratory.
This experiment can give people a lot of enlightenment: the flowers in artificial greenhouse are not as strong as those in natural wind and rain. Children grow up and need to go to nature. Therefore, taking children to nature and getting close to nature is not only to have fun, but also to help children's brains grow.
1, the continuous research of the three scientists found that rich environmental experience will strengthen learning itself.
Even animals that grow up in a hard environment will have positive changes in their brains if they are placed in rich environmental conditions.
2. Some evidences show that experience does change the development of human brain.
For example, a blind person's brain, compared with a person with normal vision, the part of the cerebral cortex used for vision will be obviously degraded, less curled and thinner because it is used and discarded.
For another example, a famous London taxi driver's experimental analysis and comparison of the cerebral cortex also illustrates this problem. It is the most difficult to get a taxi driver's license in London because the roads in London are particularly complicated. A comparative study of the hippocampus in the cerebral cortex of drivers who have been driving taxis in London for a long time shows that the hippocampus of drivers engaged in taxi business in London has increased significantly.
In contrast, if you give up this industry, the hippocampus in your brain will be significantly reduced.
3. The development process of human brain intelligence can be of positive significance to prevent the intellectual degradation of the elderly.
The key factor is the need for adequate stimulation, and nerve cells naturally need stimulation to be active. Therefore, curiosity is very important no matter how old you are. If a person stays curious all his life, it will stimulate your nervous tissue and cerebral cortex enough, and then get a positive response.
It's never too old to learn, even if you use your brain!