Suzana Herculano-Houzel

In a captivating discussion, Suzana Herculano-Houzel, a Brazilian neuroscientist and professor at Vanderbilt University, delves into the intriguing world of brain evolution. She challenges the long-held belief that larger brains mean higher intelligence, emphasizing neuron counts instead. Herculano-Houzel highlights the evolutionary advantages of cooking and technology, and how they shaped our cognitive abilities. With fresh insights on the cerebral cortex's role in decision-making, she explores human uniqueness while comparing our brains to those of other species, painting a new picture of intelligence and longevity.

Anna Lucia Spear King, psicóloga e fundadora do Instituto Delete, e Suzana Herculano-Houzel, neurocientista da Universidade Vanderbilt, discutem o conceito de "brain rot" e seu impacto na saúde mental. Elas falam sobre a relação entre o uso excessivo de redes sociais e o aumento da ansiedade, abordando a importância de limites e da educação digital. Suzana explica como o cérebro reage à gratificação instantânea das redes e oferece dicas para uma relação mais saudável com a tecnologia.

Suzana Herculano-Houzel, a Brazilian neuroscientist and associate professor at Vanderbilt University, dives into the intricacies of the human brain. She discusses how our brain isn't necessarily the largest but is unique due to its neuron count. Herculano-Houzel unpacks the myth of brain size correlating with intelligence and highlights fascinating brain comparisons across species, especially elephants. She also links diet and cooking to brain development, ultimately questioning why not all animals evolved larger brains despite the advantages.

Humans are awesome. Our brains are gigantic, seven times larger than they should be for the size of our bodies. The human brain uses 25% of all the energy the body requires each day. And it became enormous in a very short amount of time in evolution, allowing us to leave our cousins, the great apes, behind. So the human brain is special, right? Wrong, according to Suzana Herculano-Houzel. Humans have developed cognitive abilities that outstrip those of all other animals, but not because we are evolutionary outliers. The human brain was not singled out to become amazing in its own exclusive way, and it never stopped being a primate brain. If we are not an exception to the rules of evolution, then what is the source of the human advantage?Herculano-Houzel shows that it is not the size of our brain that matters but the fact that we have more neurons in the cerebral cortex than any other animal, thanks to our ancestors' invention, some 1.5 million years ago, of a more efficient way to obtain calories: cooking. Because we are primates, ingesting more calories in less time made possible the rapid acquisition of a huge number of neurons in the still fairly small cerebral cortex—the part of the brain responsible for finding patterns, reasoning, developing technology, and passing it on through culture.Herculano-Houzel shows us how she came to these conclusions—making “brain soup” to determine the number of neurons in the brain, for example, and bringing animal brains in a suitcase through customs. The Human Advantage is an engaging and original look at how we became remarkable without ever being special.Suzana Herculano-Houzel is Associate Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/neuroscience

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel, a prominent expert in neuroscience and a musician, explores the connection between brain composition and cognitive abilities across species. She discusses her innovative 'Brain Soup' technique for neuron counting, revealing surprising insights into animal intelligence. Suzana also shares her passion for music and its role in effective science communication. Additionally, she addresses the challenges faced by Brazilian scientists and reflects on the enriching impact of travel on research and collaboration.