One of the things about being something of a "polymath wannabe" is that your mind is free to wander among all your interests and see what is new or strikes your fancy at the moment. Sometimes you happen upon a truly engrossing and fascinating item about one of those areas. This TED Talk by Suzana Herculano-Houzel is one of those.
Of all the sciences, I am probably less attracted to the 'green squishy sciences' like biology, zoology, etc. but there is one area in which I do maintain a fascination and that is the human brain. It is in many ways still the most unexplored, unknown part of the human experience and it is easy to see how we might begin to feel it is 'special'. There is no denying that humans have accomplished some astonishing things (like surviving) for a long time, going into space, questioning their own origins and those of the universe, etc. which I am pretty sure the average dog or lab rat does not.
Suzana's talk addresses this, in a very informative (and scientific) way, and I found it fascinating, humbling, and thought-provoking all at the same time. Happy thinking!!!
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