Extra Credit Time Article

Fertile Minds is a very interesting article. I am not very knowledgeable about how the brain works, so it was a little bit hard for me to understand everything that this article was talking about. (Although I do feel that I understood the majority of the article.) The beginning of the article discussed how the brain of a fetus begins working before it is fully developed, more so it is necessary for the brain to begin working in order for the brain to develop. This is such a mind blowing idea. My initial thought is that this information makes the question of when is a fetus actually living, much more difficult to answer. (Or easier depending on who is asking.)

I enjoyed that the article discussed that we have the ability to alter the connections or lack of connections in the brain if we work quickly while the brain is still young. The article also touched on the fact that it is no longer nature or nurture yet a combination of both. It discussed the new discovery of the CREB amplifier, which connects development before birth with development after birth. One statement that I enjoyed reading was "Nurture works through nature." What a wonderful thought.

The article mentions repeatedly that the human brain before the age of 10-11 is extremely resilient. It also hits hard on the fact that parents and caregivers play a crucial role in infant brain development. Lastly the article touched on windows of opportunity. It stated that the biggest growth spurt a brain experiences ends by the age of 10. I loved how the article closed by stating an example concerning a brilliant criminal mind and a gift for mathematics, it stated that the two personalities vary simply because of their personal experience in the early years of life.