#579, and 580 "Soul sick"
Fun Fact #579
Cortex Command
When most people think of wrinkles their usual intent is avoidance, yet in one case that may not be so wise. Fun Fact: Over 76% of The Brain is The Neocortex (meaning “New Bark”). This is the wrinkled top of the brain you often see in artist renditions of the brain and it's responsible for the majority of higher brain functions such as memory, spatial reasoning, and muscle control.
So, why are wrinkles so vital to brain function? In short the deep grooves (Sulci) and ridges (gyri)function to increase the surface area of the brain which allows for more functioning neurons to be densely packed within the confines of the Skull. This density in turn allows for more neurons to work on tasks, improving people’s ability not just to think quickly, but to speak (language), Sensory input (the 5 senses), and even control the body.
It's not until the 7.5 months (week 30) into a pregnancy when the baby begins to develop these wrinkles in a process called Gyrification which greatly slows down once born but never really stops. However new folds do –in large part– stop forming around the age of 25 with existing wrinkles just growing from then on. The only exception seems to be when the person takes severe physical or emotional trauma which can –in some cases– cause new wrinkles in places they aren't supposed to be permanently impacting brain function in an often negative way.
While scientists aren't actually sure how these folds develop (there are some complex theories) here are some things proven to impact wrinkle growth:
Alcohol consumption
Reduces the number of folds which form and can even result in wrinkles smoothing out over prolonged exposure.
Exercise
Exercise –both physical and mental– have been shown to positively impact brain wrinkle growth when done together or in close proximity. In particular the study I found suggested that even something as simple as listening to an audiobook or practicing a language as you walk can be beneficial.
Interestingly what you study also seems to impact what part of your brain develops wrinkles but this is not proven yet.
Sleep
A good night's rest has a positive impact on growth on brain wrinkles.
Lastly yes, this is where the insult “Smooth Brained” comes from but it is an actual disorder people can suffer from called Lissencephaly and can greatly shorten lives (it seems to have a knack for affecting people's ability to breathe).
As always thanks for reading, I hope you will enjoy the next 5 weeks of Halloween based fun facts, and please have a wonderful day.
Fun Fact # 580
Rule of Acquisition
In the modern day when Halloween comes around many people think of spirits or devils coming to steal the souls of people (look up the German song The Elf King for example of how this is not a recent development). However, the term “soul” does not have the same meaning today as what it started out with. For that you need to go all the way back to before even the Babylonians, to ancient Israel, a person’s umph, and one of the oldest Hebrew customs known today: Kinyan.
In the briefest explanation, in Hebrew your “Umph” literally means “your everything” or “Your all” and is a way to quickly reference someone’s heart, spirit, strength, and body. Kinyan meanwhile means “acquisition, or property” and is the process of confirming the sale of something by a trading of articles representing your umph and thus the promise to uphold the deal by any action you take. As such these were items where you most frequently interact with the world or in other words where your umph meets the world –such the sole of your feet which is why Kinyans used in marriage ceremonies were known as “Sandal Throwing”.
Yet this could also be used to publicly disgrace someone in court giving them the last name of “the Soulless” to one who broke an agreement since it could be inferred they were incapable of upholding their agreement due to the lack of a soul. In those cases the person making the accusation would perform a Kinyan to perpetually assert this, by spitting in the person’s face.
So how’d we get to the modern definition? Simple, the original idea was demons would try to encourage people to work against God in every possible way or more simply put, to steal their umph (Soul) from God’s plan. Today kinyan does still exist in some larger agreements such as property sales or marriages, often done with the giving of a kerchief (type of bandanna worn just above the face) which is later returned to the giver. Meanwhile the idea of an umph has been translated even into english with terms such as “Giving it your all”, “They Poured their heart and soul into it”, and “Soul Sick (Depression)” referring to a person’s umph. Even the title of “Soulless” has been translated with terms like “Heartless” although it has not been a legal term since the invasion of Israel –more than 2,500 years ago.
Representation of Souls in the Video Game ”Undertale”
