Watch Origins of the human mind online: Episode 3 Development of the Human Brain

A remarkable fact is that during prenatal existence human brains produce thousands of new neurons every second, on average. This lecture considers basic principles of the formation of neurons; development of synapses among neurons; elimination of neurons that do not form viable synapses; and plasticity, the shaping of the brain’s wiring from experience. From these processes, the child learns to perceive the world, but perception is an active process, not simply a refl ection of what is in the environment.

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