What Are Brain Waves?

Even the parts of our brains that don't control physical movement show a lot of rhythm, and that might be integral to how our brains work.
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To learn more, start your googling with these keywords:

neural oscillation: better known as a "brainwave," a neural oscillation is repetitive, often rhythmic activity in the central nervous system. neurons can sync up with the help of pacemaker cells or structure, or through entrainment.

central pattern generator: neural networks that produce rhythmic, patterned electrical outputs. CPGs are usually relatively simple neural circuits and are responsible for virtually all the rhythmic motions you see in nature, from jellyfish swimming to human breathing. while we often think of our brains as reaction machines – like, we touch something hot and quickly pull away – central pattern generators don't need any stimulus to work. you can pull them out of an animal and put them in a petri dish and the neurons will still fire with the same rhythms.

feature binding: when you see your cat and you know right away it's your cat...well, somehow, your brain is putting together all kinds of information about the object's shape, size, color, motion, position in your field of vision, and lots of other contextual clues to make that happen. neuroscientists call this "feature binding," and neural oscillations may be key to pulling it off.

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Credits (and Twitter handles):
With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Alex Reich, Peter Reich, David Goldenberg

Image Credits:

Snake Crawling - BigfootHD

Greyhound running - Objectivity

Hummingbird - Smarter Every Day

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References:

Buzsaki, G. Personal Communication, October 2017.

Cabron, J. Personal Communcation, October 2017.

Getting, P.A. (1989) Emerging Principles Governing the Operation of Neural Networks. Annual Review of Neuroscience. Vol. 12:185-204

Llinas, R. Personal Communication, October 2017.

Lisman, J. Personal Communication, October 2017.

Marder, E. Personal Communication, October 2017.

Singer, W. Personal Communication, October 2017.

[TheRealTobias]

Haha, nice touch showing QWOP at the end :)

[AlexandPedro]

I thought brain waves are a way for the brain to say hello.

[balgruufthegreater]

Anyone who studied electronics or information engineering knows that in processing and trasmitting informations it's important to have a clock signal, it's so fascinating to see something similar in the brain

[existencedefieslogic]

Artificial intelligence won't even have to try to replace me in something. You know why?




Because I am unemployed :(

[WeissM]

I'm studying Psychology, and although I'd prefer to study more about the human behaviour rather than Biology, it's one of my favourite subjects. The brain is a wonderful machine.

[charlotte]

It's amazing how complex the brain is, it's unreal!

[redjr]

I like the video, but I was hoping you could answer what is it that these brain waves are a measurement of. Are these waves in the electric field? In which direction are scientists making the measurement? Are they just looking at the magnitude?

[yagmurkara]

2:20 Yeah, that prediction didn't age well.

[newslayer]

is it possible that the brain can forget how to walk, talk, tell ones name and etc. ?

[nicholaspowers]

Sometimes firing out of sync can be meaningful too. Like in stereoscopic vision, or when locating the source of a sound in our environment. Nice video.

[jacklonghearse]

Is her sweet, naive-sounding, playful light voice, her use of simple words and simple comparisons, and the use of generic, gentle, quiet, calming music in the background non-threatening enough for everyone? I wonder if they could make it even more non-threatening. It's like every YouTube video and every commercial has been like that in the last 10 years. *IT'S JUST SO GENERIC*

[leinadlink]

Amazing! A minute earth episode that isn't about animal genitalia!

[account]

Healthy brain waves are typically chaotic rather than rhythmic, from what I've been told. Highly ryhtmic brain waves are equovebt to a seizure: its the opposite of heart function - healthy heart waves are rhythmic and unhealthy heart waves (heart attack) are chaotic :) :) :)

[mr.dr.genius]

"We are not replacebale…" Good, I was already woried.
"…yet." OH

[bestuan]

What I like about you is you are giving fun facts in animation other channels talk about bad things and inappropriate like facts in motion or infographics show

[rdreher]

Fun fact: 语, or in traditional Han and Japanese: 語 = to speak, language. It's pronounced yǔ in Mandarin, and "go" or "katari" in Japanese.

[ranimeRAT]

Maybe this is the reason dogs know when you're coming home and start waiting by the door.

[cheaterman]

I'm a developer so I'm relatively robot-proof for now (although I do want to become a pioneer in machine-assisted coding because I'm lazy), but I love the concept :-)

[GuilhermeHarrison]

Hey, since it's possible to measure the waves (I imagine easily), is it possible for two touching brains to receive the waves of one another? Or an artificial wave to affect the brain?

[garygrisham]

Really enjoying all your videos! Having a Norweigan mountain cabin minuteearth marathon right now! we were talking and think it would be interesting to have one on the history. i.e. the book (zen mind) thanks again for the content, keep em" coming! Tousen Takk :)