SELF | Deep Dives
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SELF | Deep Dives
Movement and the Brain: A Neurological Skyscraper | Ep. 04
We explore how our brain's layered structure—a "brain skyscraper"—reflects our evolutionary history and shapes our development from clumsy babies to skilled humans. Each level of our brain contains neural structures similar to different animals in the evolutionary timeline, working together in a sophisticated hierarchy.
• The brain is structured in layers, with each level representing a different stage in evolutionary history
• Human babies are born with their nervous systems still under construction, with brain systems maturing in a specific sequence
• A baby's development mirrors our evolutionary past—from controlling the neck (ancient systems) to crawling (four-legged ancestors) to complex manipulation
• It takes about 2 years for structural brain maturity but 14-15 years for complete motor control development
• Movement requires continuous sensory feedback, with each new brain level providing more sophisticated sensory corrections
• Higher brain levels focus on movement goals while lower levels handle background corrections automatically
• The spinal cord, once an independent movement controller in reptiles, now primarily serves as a relay station for brain commands
• This layered architecture may apply to other complex human abilities beyond movement
How might this brain skyscraper analogy apply to other complex human abilities like cognition, creativity, or social interaction? We encourage you to explore the hidden depths of your own brain and appreciate its incredible complexity.
All right, welcome back to the deep dive. You know how this works you send us the source material you're grappling with and we dive in, distill the key takeaways, try to make sense of it all together and come back to you with the good stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the need to know. Yeah, like a personalized cliff notes for your brain.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and this time we're tackling something pretty fundamental Movement you know how we move how we learn new skills. That's what we're exploring. Movement you know how we move, how we learn new skills. That's what we're exploring, and the source material you guys sent in is really fascinating. It's excerpts from this guy named Nikolai Bernstein. He's this like pioneering figure in the study of motor control and biomechanics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I got to say Bernstein doesn't shy away from the big questions he's trying to understand, like the very essence of how our brains and bodies work together to produce movement from you know, something as basic as a reflex to something incredibly complex like, say, playing the piano.
Speaker 1:Right, and the excerpts you sent in. They really focus on this idea that the way we develop movement like from a baby's first clumsy motions to you know an athlete's finely tuned skills actually kind of mirrors like the entire evolutionary history of movement, which sounds kind of crazy, but it actually makes a lot of sense when you start digging into it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's wild. The individual development of our brains kind of recapitulates the evolution of movement across like billions of years.
Speaker 1:So that's our mission today to understand how our ability to move is built layer by layer in our brains and how that connects to, like, the grand scheme of evolution and Bernstein. He starts off with this really cool analogy he tells this myth about Zeus and man.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, the myth. That's such a great starting point, I think, because it really gets at the heart of how Bernstein sees the brain structured.
Speaker 1:Right. So in this myth, zeus, like you know, creates all the animals right and he gives each animal the perfect brain for its needs, right? The horse has its horse brain, the eagle has its eagle brain, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, perfectly optimized for their specific lifestyles.
Speaker 1:Exactly. But then, when it gets to man, Zeus gives him this cortex, this big complex brain. This is supposed to be, you know, the brain for speech and understanding and using tools and all that jazz. But get this man's not satisfied.
Speaker 2:He gets a little greedy, huh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he sees all these other animals with their amazing specialized abilities and he's like, hey, I want some of that too. Like he wants the power of the horse, the precision of the eagle, the agility of the snake, you know the whole shebang.
Speaker 2:He wants it all.
Speaker 1:Exactly so what does Zeus do? Does he just give man like a mishmash of all these different brains?
Speaker 2:That wouldn't be very efficient, would it?
Speaker 1:Nope. Instead, zeus comes up with this clever workaround. He decides that man will essentially relive the entire evolutionary journey of movement, like condensed into his childhood development. So like as a baby, you're kind of like a fish, then a reptile, then a mammal, and so on, until you finally reach your full human potential. It's this really cool way of like layering different levels of motor control on top of each other.
Speaker 2:It's like he's building a skyscraper right, with each floor representing a different stage in the evolution of movement. And you know, it's not just like a random stack of floors. There's a logic to it, a hierarchy. The higher levels control the lower levels.
Speaker 1:Right. So it's like this brain skyscraper, where the penthouse suite is like our most advanced human motor skills, but it's built on top of all these older, more basic levels of control that we inherited from our ancestors.
Speaker 2:Yeah, bernstein, he actually maps this myth onto the actual structure of the brain. He points out that, like the lower levels of our human brain, they contain these neural nuclei that are remarkably similar to the like a highest brain formation of a frog, which is called the palatum, the palatum Right, and this palatum for a frog. This is like the control center for all its movements. You know, it's as sophisticated as it gets for them.
Speaker 1:Wow. So we're literally walking around with like a frog brain inside our heads.
Speaker 2:Well, not exactly. It's more like we've built upon that basic frog brain blueprint, right, we've added all these new levels on top of it. And above the palatum there's another level, the striatum, which is the main motor control center in reptiles and birds. So we've got the frog brain, the reptile brain, and then finally, we get to the top floor, the cortex.
Speaker 2:The cortex, the big kahuna. This is where, like all the really complex human stuff happens. Right, yeah, and it looks totally different too. Right, it's all folded and wrinkled, it's like a crumpled up piece of paper, and Bernstein explains that this folding it's not just random, it's actually a matter of space. The cortex expanded so much during mammalian evolution that it had to fold in on itself to fit inside the skull. But if you could smooth it all out, it would be like one continuous sheet.
Speaker 1:That's crazy. So it's like cramming a giant sheet of paper into a tiny box, and even though it looks all jumbled up, it's still like one cohesive structure.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And what's even cooler is that even within the cortex, you can see this evolutionary history playing out. You've got these ancient sensory parts that are like holdovers from our reptilian ancestors and then, like right next to them, you've got these brand new motor systems that evolved in mammals.
Speaker 1:So it's like a time capsule of brain evolution all packed into one incredibly complex structure.
Speaker 2:And here's the thing just like with the older brain structures, these newer formations, they have a certain level of control over the older ones. It's like as you go up the levels of the brain, each level is kind of in charge of the ones below it.
Speaker 1:Like a chain of command. Yeah, exactly so we've got this brain skyscraper right, with each floor representing a different stage in the evolution of movement. And this brings us to like one of the most mind blowing ideas in Bernstein's work this concept of the what was it called? Oh yeah, thely born full-term baby.
Speaker 2:Right that one always throws people for a loop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you know we tend to think of human babies as being like relatively advanced compared to, say, a newborn horse that can, like stand up and walk right after it's born. But Bernstein's saying hold on, not so fast. When you look at the central nervous system, it's actually the opposite.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he points out that it takes a human baby like two whole years for their central nervous system to fully mature structurally, and during this time different brain systems are coming online in this very specific sequential order.
Speaker 1:And that's why human babies are so helpless at first. Right, because their brains are literally still under construction. It's not that they're underdeveloped overall, it's that their development is happening in these very distinct stages.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's like perfectly timed, like as each brain system matures, new motor abilities emerge. It's like watching evolution in fast forward.
Speaker 1:Right. So it's like that Zeus myth playing out in real time, like each stage of a baby's development is kind of like a snapshot of a different point in evolutionary history.
Speaker 2:And this is where this whole idea of what's it called, oh yeah, heckel's biogenetic law, or, as Bernstein sometimes calls it, the custom of nature, comes into play.
Speaker 1:OK, the custom of nature. What is that exactly?
Speaker 2:It's this principle that suggests that, like, the development of an individual organism actually kind of replays the evolutionary history of its species.
Speaker 1:Whoa, okay. So like the way a human embryo develops, it's like a mini reenactment of like millions of years of evolution In a way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like you know how human embryos have like gill-like structures at one point. That's a classic example. It's like a little reminder of our aquatic ancestry.
Speaker 1:That's so cool, it's like a little reminder of our aquatic ancestry. That's so cool. So this principle is saying that, like development, ontogeny they call it, it recapitulates phylogeny, which is evolutionary history.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and Bernstein applies this principle to the development of our motor neural systems as well. So when you're watching a baby learn to move, you're essentially watching evolution happen and fast forward.
Speaker 1:All right. So let's actually break down these stages. Let's start with a newborn baby. What's going on in their brains at that point? What can we learn from? Like their very limited movements, or lack thereof.
Speaker 2:Well, a newborn when they're born, their pallidum, that ancient reptilian-level brain structure, it's almost done developing. But there's an even older level, level A, which controls like neck and trunk movements, like the core of your posture. That's not quite there yet.
Speaker 1:So that's why they're so floppy and uncoordinated right, Because they can't even control their own head or torso.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And Bernstein, he points out that this level B, the pallidum, it actually needs level A to work properly, like it needs that stable base to build upon. He compares it to having, like a really powerful engine but no transmission to like actually transfer that power to the wheels.
Speaker 1:Okay, that makes sense. So it's not that the palletum itself is dysfunctional, it's that it's missing this crucial foundation.
Speaker 2:Right. And then, around two, three months old, you start to see like coordinated eye movements emerging and the baby can start turning their head. This shows that there's more neural integration happening.
Speaker 1:More connections being made.
Speaker 2:Right, and then around six months, that's when things really start to take off, because both level A the trunk control and level C1, the striatum remember that's a reptile bird brain they start working together in a more coordinated way.
Speaker 1:And that's when you get those big milestones right Sitting up, standing, crawling and Bernstein even says that crawling it might actually be like a little leftover from our four-legged ancestors, like a little biogenetic echo.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like a little glimpse into our evolutionary past. And then, in the second half of the first year, the PMS starts to kick in. That's the premotor strip in the cortex, and this unlocks a whole new set of abilities. Okay, so what can babies do once the PMS is online? Well, they start reaching for objects, grasping them, placing them, pointing and even making early speech sounds like little requests or commands, but their hand movements, they're still pretty clumsy at this point.
Speaker 1:Right, because it's like they have the tools but they haven't quite mastered the technique yet. And Bernstein uses this really great analogy here. He compares it to having a bicycle but not knowing how to ride it properly yet. Like you have the potential, but you still need practice to get good at it.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's not just about having the right hardware, it's about learning how to use it effectively. And then, as the child enters their second year, even higher cortical levels start maturing, like Level D, the cortical system of actions. This leads to even more refined object manipulation.
Speaker 1:Like what. Give me some examples.
Speaker 2:Well, they can start using a spoon effectively. They can open boxes with more intention, they start drawing and their language really starts to develop too. They start to name objects. They're using phrases like I want.
Speaker 1:It's amazing how all these different brain regions are coming online in this very specific order, leading to these increasingly complex and purposeful movements.
Speaker 2:Like a symphony of brain activity, right, each section playing its part at the right time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but even after those first two years when the brain has reached structural maturity.
Speaker 2:The process isn't over, right, like there's still a lot of development happening. Oh, absolutely. Bernstein emphasizes that it takes until about like 14 or 15 years old for full motor control to develop like that teenage clumsiness. You sometimes see the fact that they tire out more easily during physical activity and the fact that their handwriting is still developing. All these things point to the fact that functional maturation, like the ability to coordinate all these different brain regions seamlessly, takes much longer than just the anatomical development.
Speaker 1:So it's not just about having all the parts in place. It's about learning how to use them effectively.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like an orchestra. You can have all the best musicians in the world, but if they're not playing together in harmony, it's not going to sound very good right, it's about the coordination, the timing, the synergy.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've talked a lot about, like, the internal development of the brain, right, but what about the external forces that have shaped this development? Like what drove the evolution of this complex layered system in the first place?
Speaker 2:Well, bernstein talks about how new problems, new challenges in the environment push brain development forward. Right, you know, throughout evolution, animals that could move faster, more accurately, with more dexterity, they were more likely to survive. Right, they were better at hunting, escaping predators, finding mates.
Speaker 1:Yeah, survival of the fittest.
Speaker 2:Exactly, but he makes this really interesting point that in humans this emphasis on purely physical motor skills has shifted a bit Like in more recent times it's intellectual pursuits and labor-related demands that have become more important for survival than, like, raw physical prowess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that makes sense, like we don't need to outrun a lion anymore, but we do need to be able to, like, solve complex problems and build things and communicate effectively.
Speaker 2:Exactly so. Our brains have, like, adapted to these new challenges, but the underlying mechanisms of how we control movement, those are still crucial. And this brings us to the importance of sensory corrections.
Speaker 1:Okay, sensory corrections. Okay, sensory corrections. Remind me what that is again.
Speaker 2:It's basically how our brains use feedback from our senses to fine tune our movements. Like every time you move, your brain is constantly receiving information from your muscles, your joints, your skin, your eyes, and it's using this information to make tiny adjustments to keep your movements smooth and accurate.
Speaker 1:So it's like a constant feedback loop between the brain and the body.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and Bernstein says that for every redundant degree of freedom in a movement, the brain needs sensory information to control it.
Speaker 1:Okay, a redundant degree of freedom. That sounds complicated. What does that mean?
Speaker 2:It basically means any way a joint can move beyond a simple fixed trajectory, like think about your elbow. You can bend it, you can straighten it, but you can also rotate it. That rotation, that's a redundant degree of freedom, and the brain needs sensory feedback to control all these different possibilities.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, that makes sense. So the more complex a movement is, the more sensory corrections the brain needs to make.
Speaker 2:Right. The brain needs to make Right. And Bernstein contrasts reptiles with their relatively simple forelimb movements to mammals with their incredibly diverse and complex forelimb movements. And he says the difference is not just in the muscles themselves, it's also in the complexity of their sensory systems and how well their brains can integrate those sensory inputs.
Speaker 1:So a mammal's brain is just better at processing sensory information and using it to control movement.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, and that's why, like that six-month-old baby, they might be able to reach for a toy, but they can't grasp it effectively yet because their brain hasn't developed the mature and integrated combinations of sensory information needed to guide the hand accurately.
Speaker 1:So they're still missing some pieces of the puzzle.
Speaker 2:Right and Bernstein. He talks about how these leaps in brain development that we see they actually correspond to mastering new classes of movements and acquiring the necessary sensory corrections to do them precisely.
Speaker 1:So it's like each new level of motor control comes with its own set of sensory upgrades.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. And here's where his analogy of the house built over generations really comes into play again Our brain. It's not like a perfectly designed, streamlined machine. It's more like this collection of additions and adaptations built up over millions of years of evolution.
Speaker 1:It's like that old house with the weird additions and the creaky floorboards and the you know the plumbing that doesn't quite work right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, it's a testament to our evolutionary history and it's also what makes our brains so complex and so susceptible to certain disorders.
Speaker 1:Right, because if one part of that intricate system goes awry, it can have ripple effects throughout the whole structure.
Speaker 2:And you know, each new floor in this brain house, each new level of motor systems, it's linked to acquiring the key to a new class of motor tasks.
Speaker 1:OK, what's the key?
Speaker 2:in this metaphor the key it represents those enhanced sensory corrections and perceptual abilities that come with each new level of control. It's like you can't unlock those higher levels of movement without first upgrading your sensory systems.
Speaker 1:I love that analogy your sensory systems. I love that analogy. So each new level of motor control is like a new level in a video game and you need to collect certain power-ups before you can access it, and those power-ups are like better sensory perception and more refined sensory correction.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and Bernstein talks about how the development of these motor systems is actually accompanied by this enrichment of sensory impressions.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, so our senses are getting better as our motor skills improve.
Speaker 2:Well, it's more like they're becoming more refined, more specialized, more integrated, Like think about it If you can't move very well, you don't need very precise sensory information, right. But as you start making more and more complex movements, you need your senses to provide you with more detailed and nuanced feedback.
Speaker 1:That makes sense, but how do we know what animals actually perceive? How can we measure the subjective experience of sensation in different species?
Speaker 2:That's a tough one, right. It's really hard to get inside the head of another animal. But Bernstein argues that the movements themselves can give us clues. If an animal is making very precise and intricate movements, we can assume that its sensory systems must be pretty sophisticated to support those movements.
Speaker 1:So the movements are a reflection of the sensory capabilities.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in a way and he points out that perception in lower brains, like in simpler animals, it's much weaker and more restricted than in highly developed brains. He compares it to like the difference between seeing a blurry image and a crystal clear one, to like the difference between seeing a blurry image and a crystal clear one.
Speaker 1:And he even uses this really interesting example of young children needing large print to read, even if their vision is technically fine.
Speaker 2:Right, because it's not just about the eyes themselves. It's about how the brain processes that visual information, and a young brain it's still learning how to interpret those finer visual details effectively.
Speaker 1:So it's like the hardware is there, but the software is still being updated.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And another key difference is that highly developed brains. They don't just passively receive sensory information, they actively process it, they compare it to previous experiences, they integrate information from different senses and this is what gives us our intuition.
Speaker 1:So our brains are constantly building these internal models of the world based on our sensory experiences.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and those models. They can be incredibly accurate and useful, but they can also be biased and sometimes even lead us astray.
Speaker 1:Like you know, seeing shapes in the clouds, or like that famous example Bernstein mentions of the canals on Mars.
Speaker 2:Oh, you have to put all these canals. That's a classic example of how our brains can trick us into seeing things that aren't really there, and Bernstein points out that, as our motor control becomes more sophisticated, we actually rely less on raw sensory input and more on these integrated molds of sensations.
Speaker 1:Okay. So we're not just seeing the world as it is, we're seeing it through the lens of our past experiences and our expectations.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and this is especially true for things like vision. Like we don't actually directly perceive things like distance or size or shape, our brains have to infer those properties based on things like the strain of our eye muscles, the movements our eyes make, the relative positions of objects.
Speaker 1:So our brains are doing a lot of calculations behind the scenes to create our visual experience of the world.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and Bernstein even mentions this like almost irresistible urge. We have to touch sculptures in a museum right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've totally done that.
Speaker 2:Because our sense of touch, it can provide us with this crucial additional information that supplements and refines our visual perception.
Speaker 1:So we're not just seeing with our eyes, we're also seeing with our hands.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in a way, and this active nature of perception. It's not just limited to touch, like Bernstein points out, that humans we actually have these incredibly complex and rapid eye movements, even compared to animals that have much sharper static vision.
Speaker 1:So our eyes are constantly scanning the environment, gathering information, even if we're not consciously aware of it.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and Bernstein suggests that this active perception, it's actually kind of a throwback to a very primitive mode of functioning in early organisms. Like before brains evolved to process complex sensory information, organisms relied on these simple reflexive movements to explore their environment and gather information.
Speaker 1:So it's like we've come full circle.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've taken this ancient mechanism, incorporated it into our sophisticated sensory and motor systems, creating this incredibly complex and dynamic interplay between perception and action.
Speaker 1:That's fascinating. Okay, so we've talked a lot about how the brain constructs movement, how it uses sensory corrections, how perception and action are intertwined, but there's one more piece of the puzzle we need to talk about, and that's what Bernstein calls lists of movements and background levels.
Speaker 2:Right. So you might think that adding a new coordination level in the brain just adds new movements in a simple like additive way. Right, like you have 10 movements, you add a new level. Now you have 15 movements yeah, that seems logical but bernstein says it's more complicated than that. Like a new, more capable level, it can actually make movements from older levels accessible by providing better sensory corrections okay, so it's not just about adding new movements, it's about improving the ones you already have.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and he describes how a lower level can act as a background level, providing these auxiliary corrections that make movements easier, smoother, more dexterous.
Speaker 1:Okay, so the higher level is kind of like the conductor of the orchestra and the lower level is like all the musicians playing their individual parts.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and the higher level doesn't have to micromanage every little detail. It can just focus on the overall goal of the movement, while the lower level takes care of all the background corrections.
Speaker 1:And Bernstein. He gives some really great examples of this, like picking an apple while you're running.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good one. So picking the apple, that's the higher level task.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But if the apple is too high, you need to run to get closer to it, right? So running becomes the background level, providing the necessary locomotion.
Speaker 1:So the lower level is supporting the higher level.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And another example he gives is discus throwing. So the throw itself, that's the higher level movement. But to make that throw successful you need all sorts of background corrections from lower levels. You need muscle tone, you need body synergy for that spiral winding motion. You need a running start, you need to turn your body. All these things are happening in the background supporting that main throwing action.
Speaker 1:So it's like this incredibly complex choreography of different brain levels working together, and Bernstein says that pretty much all levels can be involved in this background activity for a complex movement.
Speaker 2:Right, it's not just like one level is always in charge, it's more like a dynamic collaboration. And he says that developing these coordinated movements it requires exercise or practice.
Speaker 1:Ah practice.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The magic ingredient.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because practice helps to establish this cooperation between the leading and background levels and eventually you reach what Bernstein calls movement automation, where these background corrections become unconscious. They happen automatically, seamlessly, without you even thinking about it.
Speaker 1:Right. So it's like learning to ride a bike At first you have to consciously think about every little movement, but eventually it becomes second nature.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And finally, bernstein takes us down to the very bottom level, the foundation of this whole motor control hierarchy the spinal cord.
Speaker 1:Ah, the spinal cord, the unsung hero of movement.
Speaker 2:He calls it the spinal triggering apparatus and it's the most ancient level of human motor control. He explains that, like ultimately all the motor commands that originate in the brain, they reach our muscles via the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord. These are like the primitive motor cells that he talked about earlier.
Speaker 1:So it's like the brain is sending these signals down to the spinal cord and the spinal cord is translating those signals into muscle contractions.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and Bernstein makes this really cool analogy. He compares the spinal cord to a giant keyboard, where each key represents a different muscle in the body.
Speaker 1:So the brain is like the pianist, playing this complex melody on the spinal cord keyboard, which then produces the movement.
Speaker 2:I like that, yeah, and in more primitive vertebrates, like some reptiles, the spinal cord actually had a lot more independence. Like you, could generate simple reflexes and even complex rhythmic movements without much input from the brain.
Speaker 1:So it was like a mini brain all on its own.
Speaker 2:Yeah, pretty much. He gives the example of certain giant reptiles whose hind limbs were controlled mostly by the spinal cord, bypassing the brain altogether for faster reactions. But in higher mammals, and especially in humans, that independent function of the spinal cord has been largely taken over by the brain altogether for faster reactions. But in higher mammals, and especially in humans, that independent function of the spinal cord has been largely taken over by the brain. Like we need that higher level control for our complex movements.
Speaker 1:So the spinal cord has been demoted from mini brain to like a relay station.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's still incredibly important, but its role has changed. It's become more of a like a conduit for the brain's commands.
Speaker 1:And Bernstein uses this really evocative phrase to describe this shift. He says that the spinal cord level, in its capacity for independent, complex movement, died with the last Mohicans, those ancient reptiles that still relied on its autonomous function.
Speaker 2:It's like this ancient system has been absorbed into a more complex and hierarchical structure.
Speaker 1:And that brings us to the end of our deep dive into Bernstein's fascinating work on the construction of movement.
Speaker 2:It's been quite a journey.
Speaker 1:So, to recap, we've seen how the brain's layered structure, this brain, skyscraper. It's a reflection of our evolutionary history, right?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And this layered architecture. It shapes the way we develop from clumsy babies to, you know, skilled athletes and artists and musicians.
Speaker 2:And what are some of the big takeaways here? Like what blew your mind.
Speaker 1:Well, for me it's the realization that human babies are actually kind of premature in terms of their nervous system development and that the stage development is like watching evolution and fast forward. And then there's this whole idea of like the biogenetic law, the custom of nature, which suggests that our individual development actually mirrors the evolutionary history of our species.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's pretty wild, like we're carrying this ancient history within our own bodies. And then there's the realization that even the simplest movements, like reaching for a glass of water, involve this incredibly complex interplay of different brain levels, all working together seamlessly in the background.
Speaker 1:It's mind-blowing when you really think about it.
Speaker 2:And that brings us to our final thought for you. Our listener, like Bernstein, focuses on movement. But how might this brain skyscraper analogy apply to other complex human abilities? Brain skyscraper analogy apply to other complex human abilities Like what about our cognitive processes, our creative endeavors, our social interactions? What might the background levels be for those things? We encourage you to ponder that, to explore the hidden depths of your own brain and to appreciate the incredible complexity and beauty of how it all works.
Speaker 1:That's all for this deep dive. Thanks for joining us and keep those brains buzzing.