What contributes to us thinking primarily with a certain part of our brain?

I just watched a TED talk last night that you might find interesting.

@MissAnthrope…wow thanks a lot. Super wonderful. : )

When a baby is born, they have many more neural connections than an adult does. As they learn, their body learns which connections are worthwhile and which connections should be severed. Some pathways are strengthened, and others are severed. Problems can occur with this process though, leading to phenomena such as some people associating numbers with specific colours.

My hypothesis is (I haven’t studied this to any detail yet) that the tasks you engage in as an infant dictate to a large extent how your brain develops. Infants exposed to painting and other creative activities will develop good colour perception and expressive ability, while those exposed to sports or physical activity will develop better spatial awareness. The severed connections can always be re-formed as an adult, but it takes a lot more effort to build than it does to destroy.

@MissAnthrope, which one? They’re all good.

To answer, genetics and experience. Like most things it’s nature and nurture. Education plays a large role in what is developed from what is already there. Education has focused on our head rather than our whole being: body, soul, mind. We should learn how to breathe in school, how to have better posture (& how to move), how to eat food, how to be happy, how to live, love, and learn. All else is secondary.

Some people believe that, which parts of the brain are used, are strongly connected to handedness; however most everyone uses all of their brain. That’s right, all of it. It’s truly what a mind is exposed to, and then what it takes to and fancies.

@MissAnthrope, ah just saw the link, I had wondered if that was the one. Sir Ken’s talk is also good. Can’t recommend it enough. TED

@MissAnthrope The video isn’t coming up on my work computer; there’s a lot of restrictions on it (even CNN videos are blocked, but I can go on Fluther?). I’ve never been on this TED website but it looks informative, thanks.

@Blackberry – Check it out later, when you can. TED is a site where experts/celebrities in a field come and give talks about different subjects. Definitely a cool site, lots of entertaining learning to be had.

So is it possible that through a set of childhood circumstances both sides of the brain could be forced NOT to communicate in some things for survival?
Or perhaps learn to ignore to conform to the environment?
Or section off of which part is able to communicate and which parts are not?
or well you get the idea.
If one or more are possible what is the solution….

Something science still trying to determine. Some of it nature, some of it nurture. Some of it genetic and some of it due to environmental factors including how stimulating a person’s environment is and what sort of stimulation that environment includes, upbringing and education, temperament and personality which also have both nature and nurture components and even possible exposure to toxins or brain injury, disease, etc. We know eating lead paint certainly isn’t very good at all in terms of cognitive development in children, for example. So bottom line, my answer is a variety of factors that scientists are still trying to sort out but I am going to check out @MissAnthrope‘s TED link. It looks interesting.

@Blackberry try youtube, if that works the talks are also up there.

@MissAnthrope Great link!