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You carry around a three-pound mass[团，块] of wrinkly[有皱纹的]
material in your head that controls every single thing you will ever do. From enabling you to think, learn, create, and feel
emotions to controlling every blink[眨眼], breath, and heartbeat –
this fantastic control center is your brain. It is a structure so amazing that James Watson注 once called it “the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe.”
Your brain is faster and more powerful than a supercomputer.
Your kitten is on the kitchen counter[柜台]. She’s about to step onto a hot stove. You have only seconds to act.
Accessing[（电脑）存取数据] the signals coming from your eyes, your brain quickly calculates when, where, and at what speed you will need to dive[俯冲] to intercept[中途阻止] her. Then it orders your muscles to do so. Your timing[时机] is perfect and she’s safe. No computer can come close to your brain’s awesome ability to download, process, and react to the flood of information coming from your eyes, ears, and other sensory[感官的] organs.
Your brain generates enough electricity to power a light bulb.
Your brain contains about 100 billion microscopic[极小的]
cells called neurons[神经元] – so many it would take you over 3,000 years to count them all. Whenever you dream, laugh, think, see, or move, it’s because tiny chemical and electrical signals are racing between these neurons along billions of tiny neuron highways. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Countless messages zip[快速移动] around inside it every second like a supercharged pinball machine. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the entire world. And while a single neuron generates only a tiny amount of electricity, all your neurons together can generate[产生] enough electricity to power a
low-wattage[瓦数] bulb.
Neurons send information to your brain at more than 150 miles per hour.
A bee lands on your bare foot. Sensory neurons in your skin relay[传达] this information to your spinal cord[脊髓] and brain at a speed of more than 150 miles per hour. Your brain then uses motor neurons[运动神经元] to transmit[传输] the
message back through your spinal cord to your foot to shake the bee off quickly. Motor neurons can relay this
information at more than 200 miles per hour.
When you learn, you change the structure of your brain.
Riding a bike seems impossible at first. But soon you master it. How? As you practice, your brain sends “bike
riding” messages along certain pathways of neurons over and over, forming new connections. In fact, the structure of your brain changes every time you learn, as well as
whenever you have a new thought or memory.
Exercise helps make you smarter.
It is well known that any exercise that makes your heart beat faster, like running or playing basketball, is great for your body and can even help improve your mood. But scientists
have recently learned that for a period of time after you’ve exercised, your body produces a chemical that makes your brain more receptive[易于接受的] to learning. So if you’re stuck on a homework problem, go out and play a game of soccer,
then try the problem again. You just might discover that
you’re able to solve it.
你的脑袋里装着一团三磅重的皱巴巴的东西，它控制着你的一举一动——大到思考、学习、创作、感知，小到每一次眨眼、呼吸和心跳。这个奇妙的控制中心就是你的大脑。大脑的构造是如此奇妙，以致詹姆
斯·沃森曾称之为“宇宙中至今发现的最为复杂的事物”。
大脑的运作比超级计算机更快、更强大。
你家猫咪在厨房柜台上，马上就要踩到火热的炉子上。你只有几秒钟时间做出反应。获取眼睛传递过来的信号后，你的大脑迅速计算出你冲过去截住猫咪所需要的时间、地点和速度，然后命令你的肌肉作出行动。时间刚刚好，猫咪安全获救。面对耳、目及其它感官传递过来的洪水般的信息，你的大脑如此迅速地载入、处理和反应的能力是任何电脑都不能与之媲美的。
大脑产生的电量足以点亮一个
灯泡。
你的大脑包含约一千亿个极微小的细胞，称为神经元（或神经细胞）。它们数目众多，你要用三千多年才能把它们全部数一遍。你会做梦、发笑、思考、观看或运动，是因为极微小的化学和电信号沿着无数极细小的神经高速公路在这些神经元之间快速传递。信不信由你，你的大脑每时每刻都在活动。每秒钟都有无数信息在大脑内穿梭，就像一台能量充足的弹珠游戏机。你的神经元所生成、发送的信息比全世界的电话还要多。虽然一个神经元产生的电量微乎其微，但全部神经元加起来所产生的电量则足以点亮一个低瓦数的灯泡。
神经元传送信息到大脑的速度超过150英里/时（241千米/时）。
一只蜜蜂停在你的赤脚上，你皮肤里的感觉神经元以超过150英里/时的速度将这个信息传递到你的脊髓和大脑。大脑随即通过运动神经元将信息传回到你的脊髓和脚，让你迅速甩掉那只蜜蜂。运动神经元传递这个信息的速度可达每小时200英里（322千米）。
大脑的构造随着学习而改变。
一开始，骑自行车对你而言似乎是一件不可能的事，但很快你便学会了。这是怎么做到的呢？在你练习骑车时，你的大脑沿着特定的神经路径重复发送“骑车”的信息，形成新的神经联系。事实上，每当你学习或者产生一个新想法或记忆时，大脑的构造都会发生变化。
运动助你变得更聪明。
众所周知，跑步或篮球这类能够加速心脏跳动的运动对你的身体和改善心情很有好处。但科学家最近发现，运动后一段时间内，你的身体会产生一种化学物质，使你的大脑更易于进行学习。所以，如果你被作业中的某个问题卡住了，不妨出去踢场足球，然后再回来试试。也许你就会发现已经能够解决它了。
注：詹姆斯·沃森（1928-），美国科学家，与弗朗西斯·克里克（Francis Crick）一同发现了脱氧核糖核酸的结构。两人因这项发现荣获1962年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖。
material in your head that controls every single thing you will ever do. From enabling you to think, learn, create, and feel
emotions to controlling every blink[眨眼], breath, and heartbeat –
this fantastic control center is your brain. It is a structure so amazing that James Watson注 once called it “the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe.”
Your brain is faster and more powerful than a supercomputer.
Your kitten is on the kitchen counter[柜台]. She’s about to step onto a hot stove. You have only seconds to act.
Accessing[（电脑）存取数据] the signals coming from your eyes, your brain quickly calculates when, where, and at what speed you will need to dive[俯冲] to intercept[中途阻止] her. Then it orders your muscles to do so. Your timing[时机] is perfect and she’s safe. No computer can come close to your brain’s awesome ability to download, process, and react to the flood of information coming from your eyes, ears, and other sensory[感官的] organs.
Your brain generates enough electricity to power a light bulb.
Your brain contains about 100 billion microscopic[极小的]
cells called neurons[神经元] – so many it would take you over 3,000 years to count them all. Whenever you dream, laugh, think, see, or move, it’s because tiny chemical and electrical signals are racing between these neurons along billions of tiny neuron highways. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Countless messages zip[快速移动] around inside it every second like a supercharged pinball machine. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the entire world. And while a single neuron generates only a tiny amount of electricity, all your neurons together can generate[产生] enough electricity to power a
low-wattage[瓦数] bulb.
Neurons send information to your brain at more than 150 miles per hour.
A bee lands on your bare foot. Sensory neurons in your skin relay[传达] this information to your spinal cord[脊髓] and brain at a speed of more than 150 miles per hour. Your brain then uses motor neurons[运动神经元] to transmit[传输] the
message back through your spinal cord to your foot to shake the bee off quickly. Motor neurons can relay this
information at more than 200 miles per hour.
When you learn, you change the structure of your brain.
Riding a bike seems impossible at first. But soon you master it. How? As you practice, your brain sends “bike
riding” messages along certain pathways of neurons over and over, forming new connections. In fact, the structure of your brain changes every time you learn, as well as
whenever you have a new thought or memory.
Exercise helps make you smarter.
It is well known that any exercise that makes your heart beat faster, like running or playing basketball, is great for your body and can even help improve your mood. But scientists
have recently learned that for a period of time after you’ve exercised, your body produces a chemical that makes your brain more receptive[易于接受的] to learning. So if you’re stuck on a homework problem, go out and play a game of soccer,
then try the problem again. You just might discover that
you’re able to solve it.
你的脑袋里装着一团三磅重的皱巴巴的东西，它控制着你的一举一动——大到思考、学习、创作、感知，小到每一次眨眼、呼吸和心跳。这个奇妙的控制中心就是你的大脑。大脑的构造是如此奇妙，以致詹姆
斯·沃森曾称之为“宇宙中至今发现的最为复杂的事物”。
大脑的运作比超级计算机更快、更强大。
你家猫咪在厨房柜台上，马上就要踩到火热的炉子上。你只有几秒钟时间做出反应。获取眼睛传递过来的信号后，你的大脑迅速计算出你冲过去截住猫咪所需要的时间、地点和速度，然后命令你的肌肉作出行动。时间刚刚好，猫咪安全获救。面对耳、目及其它感官传递过来的洪水般的信息，你的大脑如此迅速地载入、处理和反应的能力是任何电脑都不能与之媲美的。
大脑产生的电量足以点亮一个
灯泡。
你的大脑包含约一千亿个极微小的细胞，称为神经元（或神经细胞）。它们数目众多，你要用三千多年才能把它们全部数一遍。你会做梦、发笑、思考、观看或运动，是因为极微小的化学和电信号沿着无数极细小的神经高速公路在这些神经元之间快速传递。信不信由你，你的大脑每时每刻都在活动。每秒钟都有无数信息在大脑内穿梭，就像一台能量充足的弹珠游戏机。你的神经元所生成、发送的信息比全世界的电话还要多。虽然一个神经元产生的电量微乎其微，但全部神经元加起来所产生的电量则足以点亮一个低瓦数的灯泡。
神经元传送信息到大脑的速度超过150英里/时（241千米/时）。
一只蜜蜂停在你的赤脚上，你皮肤里的感觉神经元以超过150英里/时的速度将这个信息传递到你的脊髓和大脑。大脑随即通过运动神经元将信息传回到你的脊髓和脚，让你迅速甩掉那只蜜蜂。运动神经元传递这个信息的速度可达每小时200英里（322千米）。
大脑的构造随着学习而改变。
一开始，骑自行车对你而言似乎是一件不可能的事，但很快你便学会了。这是怎么做到的呢？在你练习骑车时，你的大脑沿着特定的神经路径重复发送“骑车”的信息，形成新的神经联系。事实上，每当你学习或者产生一个新想法或记忆时，大脑的构造都会发生变化。
运动助你变得更聪明。
众所周知，跑步或篮球这类能够加速心脏跳动的运动对你的身体和改善心情很有好处。但科学家最近发现，运动后一段时间内，你的身体会产生一种化学物质，使你的大脑更易于进行学习。所以，如果你被作业中的某个问题卡住了，不妨出去踢场足球，然后再回来试试。也许你就会发现已经能够解决它了。
注：詹姆斯·沃森（1928-），美国科学家，与弗朗西斯·克里克（Francis Crick）一同发现了脱氧核糖核酸的结构。两人因这项发现荣获1962年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖。