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2 Studies Show Waves Impact Our Memory and How the Brain Processes Information
These ocean-like waves aren’t the brainwaves you might be thinking of either
Two functions of the human brain have long stumped us. First is the contextual awareness of our senses. For instance, why do we sometimes register a flash of light or a sound off in the distance, but not always? Secondly, how does the brain combine different information into a single cohesive memory?
Amazingly, scientists — from two different studies published only months apart — may have found the answer, and it points to the existence of ocean-like waves across our brains.
The Brain is So Much More than A Computer
Since its invention, the computer has become the go-to analogy for explaining how the brain processes information. I’m sure you’re familiar with it.
The idea is that when we sense something, like a noise or light, special cells in our brain detect the information, then stationary neurons pass the info along from one neuron to the next like a relay to wherever it’s needed. Plus, both our brains and computers are programmed, they both use electricity, and our neural networks are often compared to a computer’s circuitry.
