An Inside View Of the Brain

human brain

The first time I watched Jill Bolte Taylor in this Ted Talk I was SO excited. While the focus was not Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, one of my child's conditions, Dr. Taylor gives a great description of it. She uses a real human brain to demonstrate how the right and left sides of the brain are completely separate entities and the only thing that connects them together is the corpus callosum.

"The corpus callosum, two cerebral cortexes are completely separate form one other. The two hemispheres do communicate through the corpus callosum which is made up of three hundred million axonal fibers. Other than that the two hemispheres are completely separate," she said in a objective, matter-of-fact tone.

My reaction was not objective or matter-of-fact. It struck me in my gut the same way as when the neurologist first told us, "Your daughter has Agenesis of the Corpus Callsoum."

Those fibers Dr. Taylor discussed they never developed in my daughter's brain. The corpus callosum did not form.

Dr. Taylor's description gave me a better, and more interesting, way to describe Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum to the myriads of people who regularly ask. Even without the ability to demonstrate with a real, human brain. I do pretend I have one in my hands when I describe it. It makes describing this rare condition much more fun!

The second time I watched this Ted Talk, I fell into the rhythm of Dr. Taylor's voice recanting the details the morning she had a stroke. How often is it that a brain scientist has a stroke during their lifetime and is able to articulate in vivid detail what it was like?

Mesmerizing. I was transfixed watching her share this intimate snapshot from her life.



Brain research is a topic I hope to revisit often. This Ted Talk is a good start.

Now--I want to hear from you!

Conversation/Stories

Do you have a story about yourself or someone you know that shares the potential of the brain?

What questions do you have about the brain and human potential as it related to learning and development?

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