EDUCATION
11 amazing facts about the human brain
The human brain is mostly water and dehydration can make it work poorly CREDIT: iStock
The brain is the most complex organ in the body controlling your ability to think, talk, feel, see, hear, remember things, walk and much more.
- The brain is the most complex organ in the body.
- Scientists think that human brains are actually shrinking over time.
- Contrary to the popular myth, you actually do use most of your brain.
- Your brain can’t actually feel pain.
- The part of your brain that lets you see is actually nowhere near your eyes.
You use your brain all day and night, but how much do you really know about it?
Scientists have been trying to unravel the mysteries of the human brain for centuries, and they’ve uncovered some pretty fascinating stuff about how our grey matter really works.
Here are a few truly incredible facts about the human brain.
The human brain isn’t actually fully mature until age 25.
According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, our brains don’t really finish growing up until we’re about 25 years old.
Recent research suggests that people younger than 25 often process information with a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is the part of the brain involved in managing emotions.
In contrast, people over 25 tend to use their prefrontal cortex, which is the seat of rational decision-making and judgment. Scientists believe that important connections between these two areas of the brain aren’t fully formed until our mid-twenties.
Scientists think that human brains are actually shrinking over time.
As University of Wisconsin anthropologist John Hawks explained to Discover magazine, human brains have actually lost about 150 cubic centimeters over the past 20,000 years – that’s amounts to a chunk the size of a tennis ball.
Scientists aren’t totally sure why our brains are getting smaller, but some think that as our bodies and nervous systems became smaller, our brains sized down to match. Others believe that the shift has more to do with lifestyle and habitat changes.
The human brain is mostly water and dehydration can make it work poorly.
Need another reason to stay hydrated? The human brain is mostly made of water. In fact, your brain is roughly 75% water and contains about 2% of the total water in your body. If you were to put your brain on a scale, it would weigh about 3 pounds. Disturbingly, being dehydrated by just 2% can impair your attention, memory skills, and other cognitive functions.
Your brain can’t actually feel pain.
According to brain injury resource Brainline, there are no pain receptors in the brain itself. That means that the brain can’t actually feel pain the way your skin or muscles can, though the brain is the organ we use to detect and interpret pain.
In fact, according to Stanford University, neurosurgeons don’t apply anesthesia to the brain during surgery and patients are often allowed to be awake.
However, there are pain receptors on your scalp, as well as on the coverings around your skull and brain. This is why being hit on the head may cause pain.
Extreme dieting may lead your brain to eat itself.
If you feel like your brain is trying to sabotage your dieting efforts, you might be right.
Scientists have discovered that not eating enough can trigger something called “starvation-induced autophagy” in the brain. Essentially, brain cells that aren’t getting enough energy from food begin to eat themselves in order to release fatty acids. When that happens, the report suggested that the brain cranks up hunger signals that boost appetite and the desire to eat.
Though some amount of autophagy is actually important to keep the brain running smoothly, long-term malnutrition could have a negative impact on the brain.
The part of the brain responsible for memory is significantly larger in taxi drivers.
There’s no app that can replace the knowledge and memory of a good cab driver, as scientists from University College London discovered.
When they scanned the brains of regular people and compared the results to brain scans of London cab drivers, the researchers found that the cab drivers had much larger hippocampi.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. The process of learning to navigate around the complex streets of London had literally altered the brains of the drivers.
The part of your brain that lets you see is actually nowhere near your eyes.
Though it might seem counterintuitive, the part of your brain that allows you to see is actually about as far away from your eyes as possible.
Your occipital lobe is irresponsible for pressing visual information and is away tucked at the back of your brain. For this reason, a traumatic blow to the back of the head can sometimes result in blindness even if the eyes themselves aren’t injured.
Contrary to the popular myth, you actually do use most of your brain.
There’s a popular myth that humans only use 10% of their brains. According to science, that’s not the case.
A study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience debunked the claim that only a small fraction of our brains are working. In reality, most of our brains are working most of the time. Even while sleeping, our brains are hard at work.
When musicians play together, their brain waves synchronize.
It turns out that making music together might have a measurable effect on our brains. By hooking up guitar players to electrodes, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin discovered that the brainwaves of musicians synchronize when playing duets.
Even when both people played different parts, their brainwaves and neurochemicals seemed to be in sync. These findings suggest that our brains might be even better at understanding and predicting the world around us than we thought.
Some blind people are able to “see” out of their ears.
According to a study by the University of Montreal, the brain can actually rewire itself in some pretty cool ways.
When researchers looked at the brain activity of people who had been born blind, they found that the part of the brain that’s usually responsible for vision can actually shift gears to process sound information.
This means that blind people may “see” sounds in the same part of their brain that sighted people use to tackle visual information.
Your brain activity is as unique to you as a fingerprint.
Using a scan called a fMRI, scientists have been able to identify individual people by looking at their brains.
By examining the brain activity of more than 100 people, researchers discovered that a person’s brain activity is as unique as a fingerprint. In the future, this information could be used to tailor neurological care to each patient.
SOURCE: Pulse
EDUCATION
Education: List of Partially And Fully Funded University Scholarships Around The World
Below are lists of Universities in different countries, offering partially and fully funded scholarships, covering tuition fees, cost of living, books allowances and more:
If it is one of your life’s dreams to school outside of the shores of Nigeria, here are a list of partially and fully funded scholarships that can benefit you and make your dream come true.
Below are lists of Universities in different countries, offering partially and fully funded scholarships, covering tuition fees, cost of living, books allowances and more:
1. McGill University Scholarships In Canada 2025 (Fully Funded)
2. 5000 University of Toronto Scholarship in Canada (Fully Funded)
3. University of Calgary Entrance Scholarship In Canada (Funded)
4. Brock University Scholarship In Canada 2025 (Funded)
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5. University of Ottawa Scholarships in Canada 2025 (Fully Funded)
6. York University International Scholarship In Canada 2025 (Funded)
7. Harvard Radcliffe Institute Scholarships In USA 2025 (Fully Funded)
8. Miami University Presidential Scholarships In USA 2025 (Fully Funded)
9. The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program In USA 2025 (Fully Funded)
10. University of Mississippi USA Scholarship 2025 (Funded)
11. Boston University Scholarships In USA 2025 (Funded)
12. Masters Scholarships At Delft University Netherlands In 2025 (Fully Funded)
13. Twente University Netherlands Scholarship 2024 (Funded)
14. Orange Knowledge Program In Netherlands 2025 (Fully Funded)
15. Erasmus University Scholarship In Netherlands 2025 (Funded)
16. Holland-Zuyd Excellence Scholarship (H-ZES) In The Netherlands (Funded)
17. Saïd Foundation Scholarships In UK 2025 (Fully Funded)
18. Commonwealth Shared Scholarship In UK 2025 (Fully Funded)
19. London South Bank University Merit Scholarship In UK 2025 (Funded)
20. UCL Global Masters Scholarship In the UK 2025 (Funded)
21. University of Aberdeen Global Scholarship In UK 2025 (Funded)
22. Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship 2025 (Fully Funded).
EDUCATION
Admission: Age limit, university autonomy, Senate and discretionary powers of the universities (Part 2)
What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents. …JAMB will admit students who are below that age, but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18
By AARE AFE BABALOLA, OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D (Lond.)
NIGERIANS are in a state of uproar following the announcement by the Honourable Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman,that from 2025 the age for entering into tertiary institutions in Nigeria will be 18 years in accordance with the Nigerian Education Policy. This announcement was hinged on the 4-10-3-4 system of Nigeria Education Policy of 2013. Under the policy, it is true that application of the 4-10-3-4 system of education will put the age of entrance into tertiary institutions at 18 years. This system has been in existence for decades but was not enforced apparently because all previous governments were aware of the adverse effect on outstanding or gifted children.
To remedy its non-implementation of the education system over the years, the Honourable Minister of Education has announced that: “It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents. …JAMB will admit students who are below that age, but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18. We are not actually coming up with new policies contrary to what some people are saying. We are just reminding people of what is existing. In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing under-age children to write their examinations”. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF AGE. It’s a matter of the years spent at each level of education”.
While the Honourable Minister stated that it is not a matter of age, his announcement admits the contrary.
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Implications of the sudden implementation of the education system
The Federal Ministry of Education is attempting to make up for its failure to implement the education system over the years. However, the proposed mode of implementation is ill-advised for the following reasons:
Psychological implication
There are millions of students in senior secondary schools who will finish the secondary school before they are age 18 years. Will these students be asked to wait one, two or three years just because the most important pre-qualification condition for writing the WAEC, NECO and JAMB is age? This policy will forcefully halt academic momentum leading to an irretrievable loss of valuable time. It will certainly affect the psychology of the students negatively leading to loss of interest in education.
Likewise, this policy disproportionately affects gifted students and those who earn accelerated promotions in elementary and secondary schools. The minister recognised these sets of students but communicated his unwillingness to concede special recognition for them. He has this to say on the matter: “At the moment, this is what we have. But it’s very legitimate to appeal and look at that window of how we care for our smart children. And this is a conversation for another day. Other countries do similar things. They have age specifications for each level of education. But again, they look at the possibilities of smart children. A lot of times in Nigeria, what sometimes is a widow eventually becomes a door.”
Admission into tertiary institution
Statistics reveal that 1,985,642 candidates registered for JAMB in 2024. Only 385,050 students were admitted to tertiary institutions in 2023. There is the likelihood that the admission rate will be less than 500,000 in 2024. The question therefore is: will all candidates who are 18 years old be granted admission on the year of first application from 2025? Nigeria has a peculiar situation that makes it unique and therefore discourages imitating what is obtainable in other climes. Admission is not automatic upon qualification because Nigeria is bereft of adequate tertiary institutions to fully admit deserving candidates. Also, the Federal Ministry of Education cannot guarantee that all qualified candidates will be admitted into tertiary institutions. Imposing other mechanisms to slow down promising youths is therefore needless, ill-timed and ill-advised in Nigeria
Education tourism
Education tourism is a culture in Nigeria. The speed at which Nigerian students migrate abroad in pursuit of foreign education has continually been on an exponential rise. • Between 2006 and 2016, over 10,000 Nigerian Students were enrolled in one university in Benin Republic, not counting several other universities along the coast of West Africa and the West. • The data from the British government education tourism to the UK reveal that there were 6,798 in 2019. This rose to 59,053 in 2022 which amounts to a 768.7 percent difference. In 2022, the number of Nigerian students who received a UK student visa was 65,929. • According to the data, 14,438 Nigerians enrolled for education in the US in 2022 as against 12,860 recorded in 2021. • In Malaysia, there are lots of Nigerians pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Reports have it that there are over 13000 Nigerian students in Malaysian universities. • The number of new study permits issued to Nigerians for study in Canada increased to 13,745 from 10,550 in 2020. • The United Arab Emirates has more than 1,755 Nigerian resident students • Hungary is gradually becoming a destination country for foreign education with over 700 Nigerian students studying there • Reports show that there are about 71,000 Nigerian students in Ghana paying about US$ 1 billion annually as tuition fees and their upkeeps. In 2022, over 78,000 Nigerian students were in universities across Ghana compared to 13,919 according to a UNESCO report in 2016, a whopping 560.38 percent. • Foreign education cost Nigeria $28.65billion from 2010 to 2020, with Personal Transport Allowance totalling $58.7billion.
These figures do not include countless Nigerian children enrolled in primary and secondary schools abroad.
Many experts and parents indicated that the shabby state of the Nigerian education system is basically fuelling the education tourism, especially as it concerns tertiary education.
This education tourism may be further amplified where parents are desirous to preserve the academic momentum of their wards who fully qualify for admission into tertiary institutions before they are age 18 years.
Brain drain
With over 90 million people under 18 years of age, Nigeria ranks as the world’s third-largest youth population, trailing only India and China. However, there are obviously not enough schools to provide tertiary education to all of them.
Most of the students who will qualify for admission into tertiary institutions before they are 18 years would have shown a high propensity for intelligence. What the current education policy does is that it encourages our young brilliant children to seek tertiary education elsewhere.
More often than not, graduates tend to stay in the country where they obtained their tertiary education for employment.
AARE AFE BABALOLA, OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D (Lond.)
EDUCATION
Expedite Actions Towards Alleviating The Sufferings Of Nigerians, End Extreme Hardship, CONUA Tasks Tinubu
Since the fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation policies of the present administration, Nigerians have been going through excruciating pains and extreme hardship which needs government’s urgent intervention.
The Congress of University Academics, CONUA, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite action towards pulling Nigerians out the cesspit of extreme hardship in the country created by various reforms of his administration.
CONUA is a splinter group from Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which was formed by university lecturers during the last prolonged strike organised by ASUU.
A statement issued by it’s President, Dr Niyi Sumonu on Saturday revealed that since the fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation policies of the present administration, Nigerians have been going through excruciating pains and extreme hardship which needs government’s urgent intervention.
“The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has, again, reviewed the state of the nation and noted the excruciating pains Nigerians have been going through as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy since 29th May 2023 and the subsequent policy of floating the Naira.
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“The union further notes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has assured the nation that a series of measures are being put in place to alleviate the suffering of the people. CONUA urges the President to expedite action on those measures, particularly the announcement of a commensurate minimum wage that will cushion the effect of this untold hardship being currently experienced by the citizens”, it stated.
Dr. Sumonu described as illegal the continuous withholding of its members three months salary occasioned by the strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in 2022, denying the participation of Union’s members in the said industrial action.
In his words, “the Union wishes to once again call the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) to the continued withholding of the three and a half months salary due to the strike action embarked by a sister academic staff union in the Universities. CONUA, as a Union has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of the strike action.
“What the government had done was to lump together those who embarked on strike with those who did not! This is unjust, and is tantamount to punishing the innocent along with the guilty. The Federal Government’s action actually goes against the judgment delivered on 25th July, 2023 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), which affirmed CONUA as an independent Union”.
“The President should note that withholding the three and a half months salaries of members of CONUA, who neither declared nor participated in any strike action, contravenes Section 43 (1b) of the Trade Disputes Act CAP. T8, which states that “where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remunerations for the period of the lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of period of employment”.
The Union further urged President Tinubu to pay attention to the remuneration of academics in the university which has been stagnant since 15 years ago, despite the steady rise in the cost of living and demanded an adjustment in the emoluments of lecturers to bring the best out of them.
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