9 Abilities of Your Brain, You May Have Overlooked

I don't doubt that there are several members here at ATS that we're already well aware of these little facts, (we have some smart folks here) however many may not be, so this could be a little eye opener for some.

1. The maximum capacity of your short-term memory is seven.

Humans have basically three forms of memory: Sensory, Long-term and Short-term. Long-term memory is just like hard-drive space. Similarly, Short-term memory functions like a very small RAM. This Short-term memory is capable to hold only about five to nine (seven is an average) items at a time. Retrieving information longer than this will need you to either pack it together into seven units or store it in Long-term memory. Have you observed that the most phone numbers have only seven digits?

2. The most visible color is Chartreuse.

Yellowish green, chartreuse, is naturally placed right in the middle of the frequencies of visible light. Human eyes have receptors for green, blue and red colors. Being placed in the middle, chartreuse actuates the most of these receptors to fire, making it distinct and easier to spot. For the same reason, in some metropolises, firetrucks have been modified from red to a yellowish green color to make them more visible and obvious to the eye.

3. Subconscious is smarter than you.

Subconscious is smarter than you. In other words, it is more powerful. In a recent study, a square was attributed to a location on a computer screen through a complex pattern. After watching it out, people began to get results better than the chance of recognizing where the square would crop up next. However, when they were inquired to consciously find out the pattern, even given a few hours, nobody really did it!

4. There are two nervous systems.

We have two sets of nervous systems. One controls excitation, while the other controls inhibition. If you hold out your hand, you might observe minor tremors. This is actually stimulated by slight, random differences in the amount each of the two systems are firing.

5. Brain is exceptionally bad at probability.

Your high-school math teacher might have told you about this one. Here what’s interesting isn’t that your brain is bad at probability, but how.

6. Memory isn’t great either.

Research has revealed that people are highly probable to misremember past events. Even worse, it is quite easy to suggest a memory that never happened. Due to this fact, so-called “repressed” memories should be given a lot of consideration. It is extremely easier to suggest a memory of a situation that never encountered, than it is to recover one that actually did.

Number 6 really jumps out at me since a lot of people are so willing to give credit to an event that has been remembered after a session with someone who does that sort of thing.

If you want to see the finale 3 you will have to visit this link





[edit on 7/29/2009 by Alaskan Man]

Abilities of MY brain.. interesting

But who is the "I" who knows he has a brain, or what it can and cannot do?

My brain is just a tool - best left on the shelf when I don't need it, and paradoxically, it gets sharpened when it's set aside for moments, however brief and fleeting.

Edit: To correct a couple of errors (brain fart)

[edit on 29-7-2009 by OmegaPoint]

Originally posted by OmegaPoint
Abilities of MY brain.. interesting

But who is the "I" who knows he has a brain, or what it can and cannot do?

My brain is just a tool - best left on the shelf when I don't need it, and paradoxically, it gets sharpened when it's set aside for moments, however brief and fleeting.

Edit: To correct a couple of errors (brain fart)

[edit on 29-7-2009 by OmegaPoint]

haha don't worry it happens to all of us, so did you at least like the article? i couldn't help but feel like you were disappointed that someone has said you are or are not capable of something.

I didn't mean any offense by my OP, just thought it was pretty interesting.

edited grammar


[edit on 7/29/2009 by Alaskan Man]

Cool Post. I want to add one to this list if I can. I read that Researchers believe that they have found the cause of "Déjà vu'!

You know the feeling you get that you have been somewhere before or have done something previously?

Researchers believe that the experience of Deja Vu is caused by a memory bypassing short term and middle term memory and going STRAIGHT to long term memory!

So as soon as you have it the memory seems to be one that you have had for a long time rather than one that you recently acquired.

reply to post by TurkeyBurgers


thank you for contributing, i never knew that about deja vu, very interesting!

so much for a glitch in the matrix theory

Interesting read, thanks.
I also think our brains have the capability of doing more than what it normaly does. i believe that the dormant parts of our brains used to be fully functonal centurys ago, but through time weve lost the abilty to use other parts of our brains.. i guess its one of those, use it or loose it type things.

Originally posted by Alaskan Man
2. The most visible color is Chartreuse.

Yellowish green, chartreuse, is naturally placed right in the middle of the frequencies of visible light. Human eyes have receptors for green, blue and red colors. Being placed in the middle, chartreuse actuates the most of these receptors to fire, making it distinct and easier to spot. For the same reason, in some metropolises, firetrucks have been modified from red to a yellowish green color to make them more visible and obvious to the eye.

Very interesting!

I remember a few years ago when our emergency services changed their high-vis colour schemes to this chartreuse shade. I thought it looked so ugly, but in fact it actually increases their visibility to the human eye

[edit on 29/7/09 by dmorgan]

Thanks for sharing this! It was really interesting.

I remember when I was in high school, learning about a forth type of memory that the human brain has. It is called "spatial memory". This is the memory where the brain simply just remembers where things are, without us consciously doing so. An example of spatial memory in action is how we're able to walk through a room, that we've seen in the daylight, like our bedroom, in the dark, without running into anything. Or how we can hit the light switch in the bathroom at night each time.

reply to post by sapperranger04


interesting theory,

it would be nice if it would just awaken eh? anyone see that Travolta movie "Phenomenon", i want that minus the brain tumor.

Reply to post by Alaskan Man

The issue is subvectivity...


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

I love the subconscious one because I have known that for quite some time.

The other day I was driving down the road, I was coming up to an intersection and at that moment I drew my attention to something inside my car. My subconscious did it's duty and safely slowed me down in preparation for the stop. My mind continued to wander as I waited for the light to change and so that I could turn. At that moment, suddenly a friends picture shot to mind and I remembered I needed to talk to that person. I turned the corner and found myself following that person.

At first I thought, WOW, what a coincidence. But then as I thought about it, it became apparent that my subconscious has noticed them approach from the opposite side of the intersection and make a right turn as I was approaching to make my left hand turn. My conscious had absolutely no idea that this person was there, but my subconscious noticed and when it found a free moment it alerted me to the information.

They say that over 80% of our life is completed on autopilot. Once we pass through the stages of learning and a task becomes second nature, we tend to autopilot it. Many people can recall a time when they have driven somewhere or have walked to the kitchen or something, and hardly remember the trip. It's because the subconscious was auto-piloting for you.

Ahh the mysteries and power of the mind

reply to post by king9072


i have noticed when my GF says good bye sometimes i just autopilot the response and the kiss and all that, (if say i am reading something interesting) then later when i am done, i am like "oh did she leave?" sometimes i will even call her to make sure i said good bye and all that, and she always laughs and says yes