How is it about the human brain?

Question

Our brain can do complex calculations in real time of sound direction, visual depth and judging speed and direction and tell the organs of the body to produce more enzymes and keeps the heart pulsing correctly all day and keeps our body balanced upright.

And yet if I say what is the answer to 23+64 it takes about 3-4 seconds to work out the answer. How can it do much more complex calculations that if we had to work it mathematically we'd be extinct?

Answer 1

Human brain is quite a complex structure comprising of different parts responsible for different tasks. Millions of neurons of the brain have exclusive tasks to perform, which is the basis of the brain functionality. To answer your specific question it is important to understand the "Laterality" of the brain. The right side of the body sends messages to and is controlled by the left side of the brain, and the left side of the body by the right side of the brain.

Laterality is present in the prefrontal cortex, premotor areas, posterior part of inferior frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule of the brain. During arithmetic calculation, the prefrontal cortex and premotor areas are important in controlling intention and working memory, while the posterior part of inferior frontal gyrus accounts for retrieving arithmetic facts.

The left inferior parietal lobule plays an important role in arithmetic calculation. Laterality index of the inferior parietal lobule decreases with increasing difficulty of task. The reason assumed being simple arithmetic problems can be resolved by retrieving arithmetic facts directly, complex arithmetic problems involve the bilateral inferior parietal lobules and the magnitude representation of the inferior parietal lobules.

More detailed Functional MRI experiments are being conducted that may help to explore further the laterality of functional areas related to arithmetic calculations.

Our brain can do much more complex calculations but based on above facts it will take some time. I will quote an example here about Albert Einstein. His brain (that was preserved after his death) is being studied by a team of scientists. Einstein's parietal regions are shaped differently and are larger than any others the researchers have seen. Perhaps these differences afforded Einstein his more powerful insights into space and time.

I know the answer contains a huge load of 'brainy' jargon but this is the simplest way to understand why it takes a little more time for our dear brain to fix an arithmetic problem. :-))

Answer 2

Our brains are designed for pattern recognition and survival and socialization. There was simply no adaptive pressure to be able to add specific numbers or even understand a concept of numbers higher than 2. Some languages today only have 1, 2, and many.

Answer 3

well boys/men are generally better at math and girls/women are generally better when it comes to art and music. I personally suck at math and would need a calculator for all math questions i can't even help my 10yr old with his grade 5 work cause i suck so bad at math but when it comes to creative writing or music i'm a whiz and can help my son all he wants. It all balances out. Its not like you really need math anyway unless you are doing a job that requires it and because i'm a stay at hom mom i don't need it.

Answer 4

Well you got me I have no clue One then thought that is a different type of brain funtion requires the tought process.
These other funtion require no thought at all

Answer 5

Nobody's messing with my brain. It's my 2nd favorite organ.

Answer 6

Give me a few minutes to think about this...

Answer 7

one action is programmed instinctively and the other is a learned response.

Answer 8

thats why we have calculators.they do the thinking for us.