The Brain and the Universe

Actually, I had planned to write about a different topic this week. Recently, my esteemed teacher Akay Aktaş sent me an email. It contained six different questions, mostly about the brain and brainpower. My answers were brief because I needed a longer article to explain the basic structure of the brain. I am writing this article to illustrate the structure and function of the brain and dedicate it to my dear teacher.

First and foremost, I want to remind you that the human brain is the most complex (i.e., difficult to understand) organ or object existing in the universe. We will see why in a moment.

First, I want to ask this question: As you know, the universe (cosmos) refers to all celestial bodies located in space. This includes planets, stars, galaxies—in short, everything. (It is estimated that there are over 400 billion galaxies and 300 sextillion (a number with 21 zeros) stars in the observable universe.)

My question is: What is the number of atoms present in all the objects in the known universe? Scientists, using mathematical models, state that the number of atoms in the universe visible with the most powerful telescope is at most 10 to the power of 81 (i.e., the number you get when you put 81 zeros after the number 1). This is, of course, a large number.

Now I will take you to the game of CHESS, which you probably have at home or can access on a computer. A chess game has 64 squares and 32 pieces.

My second question to you is: How many different game versions, or moves, are possible in chess? I don't know what numbers come to your mind, but considering the calculations of the most prominent mathematicians, this number is about 10 to the power of 123 (i.e., you will write 123 zeros after the number 1). As you can understand, when you consider that the number of possible versions or moves on a simple chessboard is greater than the number of atoms in the universe, we realize how important the game of chess is.

As you know, the world's most famous chess master right now is Kasparov. For a long time, Kasparov was able to checkmate computers. As the number of processors in computers increased, his job became more difficult. Now there are computers that can checkmate Kasparov.

Another question: Is it possible to design another computer that can checkmate this computer? Of course, it is possible. In short, I want to say that a computer that can consider 10 to the power of 123 possibilities has not yet been invented in the world, and never will be. This means that it will always be possible for us to design another computer that can checkmate any given computer.

MATHEMATICS AND CONNECTING THE DOTS

Before moving on to the main topic, the structure of the brain, let's consider a simple mathematical game.

The question is: How many lines connect two points? I know that was an easy question. The answer, of course, is one line. Let's continue: How many lines connect three points? By drawing, you can see that it is three. How many lines connect five points? By drawing, you can see that this number is 10. However, after a certain number of points, we need a formula. For example, if we want to find the number of lines passing through ten different points not on a single line, it is possible to see that it is (10×9)/2=45.

By the way, I would also like to briefly explain the factorial expression. Factorial is a mathematical concept denoted by the (!) sign. It means: the multiplication of all numbers that bring the number it precedes down to one:

1!= 1

2!=1×2=2

3!=1x2x3=6

4!=1x2x3x4=24

NEURONS AND SYNAPSES

The main purpose of the explanations above was to introduce you to the miraculous organ called the brain. The brain is divided into three main parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. This is a rough definition. Because these parts are interconnected. That is, a neuron cell in one part can communicate with a neuron cell in another part. Therefore, I will consider the brain as a whole, not in pieces.

My request to you is that when I say "neuron," imagine a point in the mathematical problem above. When I say "synapse," consider a line connecting the neurons, or points. In our brain, there are 86 billion (86 with nine zeros) neurons, or points. (Also, one should not forget the 16 billion neurons located in the cortex.)

These neurons are connected to each other by lines called synapses. When a neuron wants to send a message to another neuron, it sends electrical and chemical signals via the line we call a synapse. How many synapses, or lines, do we need to connect 86 billion neurons? With a simple formula, we understand that it is ((86/2)*85) = 3.655 trillion. Sometimes, for processing purposes, neurons send signals to other neurons not directly but through other neurons. In this case, sending signals not only from neuron to neuron but also from groups of neurons to other groups of neurons comes into play. Therefore, the actual number of operations is factorial (3.655 trillion!). This means multiplying numbers from 1 up to 3.655 trillion. This is an almost infinite number.

The number of neurons in the brain does not vary from person to person. The only difference is the scarcity or abundance of operations between neurons. In this way, we see that the number of operations within our brain is practically infinite. Now let's rank the number of atoms in the universe, the number of operations between neurons, the number of moves in chess, and the number of neurons:

First: The number of operations between neuron groups in the brain (including the cortex)

Second: The number of operations only from neuron to neuron

Third: The number of moves in chess

Fourth: The number of atoms in the universe

Fifth: The number of neurons in our brain

Let's proceed knowing that the organ called the brain, which we carry inside our skull, has the capacity to perform an infinite number of operations. Some people may have the ability to combine the energy in a group of neurons through self-discipline or different methods. We know that Indian fakirs do such work. With this energy they obtain and control, they can, for example, bend a spoon on a table or perform telepathy. It is even possible for them to levitate an object without touching it. In a freezing room, they can make their bodies sweat, and read minds through energy flow. For our brain with infinite processing power, these operations are like "child's play." My humble advice is to believe in your brainpower and use your brain. As the brain is used, neuron groups form, and the number of operations increases.

Animal brains of the same size as the human brain also have an equal number of neurons, but animals do not have the ability to increase the number of operations between neurons. Humans have learned to use neurons, establish relationships between them, and make new inventions over a process spanning thousands of years. During this process, a new section called the cerebral cortex has had the chance to develop only in the human brain.

It is not the number of neurons that determines thinking power. Elephant brains are larger than human brains, but because the number of operations between neurons is small, they are not more intelligent than humans. When we look at humanity's historical journey, the most important invention that increased the processing power between neurons was learning to "cook food." From that day on, the number of operations between neurons continued to increase. Today, humanity continues its journey in the universe by increasing the number of operations between neurons every day.

(Here, I would like to open a parenthesis and convey a debate that has continued in the esoteric world. Those who believe in esoteric philosophy claim that at one time, people could lift huge stones into the air using brainpower. They agree that the colossal stones in the pyramids and the Stonehenge structures in England were lifted and placed using brainpower.)

Before I finish my article, I would like to add a note about Alzheimer's disease. As I mentioned above, when signal communication between neurons or neuron groups (lobes) decreases, conditions such as forgetfulness and loss of self-identity are experienced. The best way to avoid Alzheimer's disease is to constantly approach events around you with a "cause-and-effect" perspective from your youth. Weak communication between neuron groups (lobes) is the sole cause of Alzheimer's disease. People mistakenly think that either a part of the patient's brain dies or the number of neurons decreases, which is why this disease occurs. No! This assessment is not correct.

I want to give a few examples. I ask you to consider the following word pairs:

To see - To look

To hear - To listen

In the act of "seeing," the mind is passive. Communication between neurons does not work.

In the act of "looking," the mind is active. It looks at an object with its own effort, making an evaluation. Those who spend their lives "seeing" have a very high probability of developing Alzheimer's disease because there is almost no communication between the lobes.

In the act of "hearing," the mind is passive. Whether you want to or not, you hear the sound of a car coming from outside. There is no operation between neurons here.

In the act of "listening," the mind is active. You consciously pay attention to the sounds around you and try to make sense of them. For example, wondering whether the noise made by a passing vehicle comes from a car or a bus.

Please learn to be curious and make it a habit to evaluate events in a "cause-and-effect" context. I wish you mentally healthy days.

JOKES & ANECDOTES

(Note: The following jokes and anecdotes have not been published anywhere else.)

FELLOW TOWNSMAN SOLIDARITY (!)

An Azerbaijani and a Kurdish young man from Iğdır go to the army together. Within two or three months, their friendship grows, and they become inseparable. One day, new recruits join the company.

It's morning assembly. The newly arrived soldiers line up in two rows. There is an unknown fear in all their hearts. Those who haven't had enough sleep occasionally look like they're about to fall but quickly pull themselves together with fear, trying to stand straight.

When the Company Commander appeared in the distance, the Senior Sergeant shouted "Attention!" with all his might. It was such a terrifying sound that it seemed to have ripped the hearts out of the new recruits' mouths.

The Company Commander walked among the new recruits. Then he stood in front of them and gave a stern speech about discipline. "Even if your nose runs while the Commander is speaking, you must not break your stance."

Before the Company Commander could finish his sentence, a soldier in the back quickly wiped his nose with his sleeve. The Company Commander went to the soldier and shouted: "You animal! Didn't I tell you not to move your arm while the Commander is speaking?" The soldier quickly wiped his nose again with his right sleeve. The Company Commander slapped him. The soldier swayed but quickly recovered, then wiped his nose again with his right sleeve.

The Company Commander asked for the list, and with the help of the Sergeant, he learned the soldier's name and hometown by looking at his number. The recruit was from Iğdır. The Company Commander shouted: "Is there anyone from Iğdır among you?" The two Iğdır natives, an Azerbaijani and a Kurd, who had now been promoted to corporal, stepped forward. The Company Commander took the Azerbaijani Corporal with him as an interpreter to speak to the recruit:

The Company Commander asked the Azerbaijani Corporal to ask the recruit where he was from and why he wasn't answering:

The Azerbaijani Corporal asked: "Don't worry, friend! Where are you from? Which village in Iğdır are you from? Tell me! Don't make the Commander angry!"

No sound came from the recruit.

This time, the Company Commander called the Kurdish Corporal and asked him to ask the same question:

"Are you Kurmanji or Azeri?"

The recruit's eyes lit up:

"I am Kurmanji. I don't know Turkish!"

"Which tribe are you from?"

"I am from the A... tribe. Which tribe are you from?"

"I am from the B... tribe."

"Do you know Hamit, son of Ahmet? His name is Biro."

The recruit spoke again with joy:

"He is my father."

"Last year, your father unfairly beat my father a lot."

The recruit made no sound.

The Kurdish Corporal turned to the Company Commander: "Commander, the recruit says, 'I didn't come here to be slapped for wiping my nose. Tell that rogue Company Commander to watch his step, or my tribe will teach him a lesson.'"

Hearing this, the Company Commander became enraged, grabbed the recruit by the collar, dragged him in front of the company, and punched and kicked him for minutes in front of the soldiers.

The Kurdish Corporal, having taken revenge for his father, smiled slyly from a distance.

RIGHT-LEFT CONFLICT IN BAHARLI (NOVEMBER 14) NEIGHBORHOOD (!)

In the 1970s, when right- and left-wing groups mercilessly killed each other across Turkey, the right-left tension in my neighborhood of Baharlı (November 14) only manifested itself at weddings.

Weddings were held in a small area under the trees in the bride's garden. On the wedding day, a horse-drawn cart loaded with chairs, probably temporarily borrowed from a coffeehouse, would slowly make its way, while someone sitting next to the driver would beat a drum and shout, announcing the wedding to the neighborhood residents.

When evening came, the sound of drums and zurnas from afar would particularly excite the young people, and they would flock to the wedding venue. The wedding consisted of three stages. First, the drums and zurnas would play, and the arrival of the groom and bride would be awaited. In the second stage, the groom and bride would sit on chairs, and a few women would dance around them, then they would shyly dance with the groom and bride in the middle on the well-watered garden floor to prevent dust from rising. This time, the spectators would compete to give money to the groom and bride. A lot of money meant, "We love you very much."

In the third stage, the dance floor was left to the right- and left-wing youth of the neighborhood. For example, a left-wing youth would approach the drum-zurna team and request a piece to be played. As soon as the music started, the young man would go onto the floor, raising his left hand, and dance with his left hand constantly in the air, while his friends would give a REVOLUTIONARY message either by clapping or by dancing with him.

Then it was the turn of the right-wing youth. He would approach the drum-zurna team and request a piece to be played. As soon as the music started, the young man would go onto the floor, raising his right hand, and dance with his right hand constantly in the air, while his friends would give an IDEALIST message either by clapping or by dancing with him.

One day, it was a wedding like this again. The bride and groom had danced and were sitting in their chairs. A right-wing young man approached the musicians and requested the music he wanted. The young man's right arm was in a cast. As he went onto the dance floor, he shouted: "My right arm is in a cast. I have to raise my left arm, but see it as my right arm." With applause and the participation of his friends, the IDEALIST performance ended. This time, a left-wing young man approached the musicians. He requested the music he wanted. The young man's left arm was probably tied in a sling around his neck because he had had an accident. As he went onto the dance floor, he shouted: "My left arm is in a sling. I have to raise my right arm, but see it as my left arm." With applause and the participation of his friends, the REVOLUTIONARY performance also ended.

The next day, as I was walking towards the city center, I saw the young man whose left arm had been in a sling at the wedding the previous evening, walking towards me quite normally without any sling. Curious, I asked him how his arm was. His answer was interesting: "We are children of the same neighborhood. Since my right-wing friend's arm was in a cast, I pretended my left arm was broken and put it in a sling."

This is how the right-left conflict in Baharlı Neighborhood, which I am proud of, always continued with such generosity and understanding of friendship.

INSPECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Two Kurdish villagers come down to the city. They settle into one of the coffeehouses where Kurds mostly reside. After drinking their tea, one suggests to the other:

"Every time we come to Iğdır, we sit in one of these coffeehouses and spend our whole day here. If you want, let's take a walk around the neighborhood where the Azerbaijanis live."

When his friend agrees, they go to İdirmava Street together.

They walk, looking intently at the houses on their right and left. When they reach the end of the street, they turn back, again looking intently at the houses on their right and left. They return to the coffeehouse and sit down.

Both of their faces are grim. One of them starts talking: "I didn't see anything worth stealing. Did you see anything?" The other adds: "I saw a beautiful Azerbaijani girl, but unfortunately, Azerbaijani girls don't know how to milk sheep or make dung cakes. Moreover, they can't speak Kurdish. You don't have a job, come and learn Azerbaijani for the sake of the girl at this age! Even if Bedo's daughter is very ugly, I will have to elope with her."

THE SHUTTER'S LOCK

It is winter. An Azerbaijani draper, as he always does in the evening, lowers the shutter of his shop, attaches the huge lock, and heads home. As he sits down at the dinner table and eats, he suddenly remembers that he forgot to turn off the electric heater in the shop. Fearing a fire might break out, he leaves his meal unfinished and quickly walks back to the shop.

The shutter is closed, but there is no lock on it. He becomes uneasy. "Did I forget to put on the lock?" he can't help but wonder. He curiously lifts the shutter. The electric heater's plug has been pulled out. A man, holding a flashlight, is filling a sack with items he likes from the counter.

The thief sees the shop owner but continues his work with an indifferent attitude. He asks in a pleasant tone:

"Uncle Cafer, you came to turn off the heater, didn't you?"

"That's right!"

"Don't worry! I pulled the plug of the heater. After all, we are relatives! Go home and eat your meal! My work will be done in a little while. Don't worry, I will put the lock on the shutter firmly and leave."