Hold your hand as far as you can above your head and drop a piece of paper.
Try to catch it as it flutters to the grounds.
Now try dropping a ball from the same height.
Why is the piece of paper harder to catch?
(Adapted from Blood and Guts by L.
Allison [Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1976], p.
117.
) As you learn, new connections are made between neurons.
Choose something new you would like to learn, such as juggling, memorizing a poem, or speaking another language.
Keep a journal in which you describe your learning process.
What challenges do you encounter?
When do you notice progress?
How much time does it take to learn something so that you don't forget it?
Research a disease or injury that affects brain function, such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's.
How does it affect the brain?
What symptoms does a person with this problem display?
Are there treatments for it?
What causes it?
What does this disease reveal about how the human brain works?
For a day, try doing as much as possible with the opposite hand that you normally use.
Which tasks are particularly difficult?
Do you think this is similar to the challenge young children have learning new actions, such as how to tie their shoes or pour juice into a glass?