So the brain mostly consists of gray matter (which is actually pink if it's still alive) and white matter (this is actually white). It is encased in membranes and Cerebrospinal fluid. I won't go into detail, because it's a lot of weird vocabulary. Brain vocabulary is an amalgam of Greek, Latin, and the names of the rather vain researchers who discovered things. Anyway, the brain flesh itself is really soft, and about three-quarters water.
Allow me to quote my textbook:
"The brain is soft and mushy because of its great water content. A human brain removed from the skull and its supporting membranes and flotation system slowly collapses into a shapeless lump." (Brookshire, Robert H. [2007]. Introduction to Neurogenic Communication Disorders. Page 11. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.)
WHAT.
And wait. There's more:
"One of the difficulties in understanding the brain is that it is like nothing as much as a lump of porridge." (Gregory, R.L. [1966]. The eye and the brain: The psychology of seeing. Quoted Brookshire 2007.)
So.... if you are being attacked by zombies, try offering them porridge. It might distract them. Who knows—maybe they'll like it even better than brains. Anyway, even if they don't, it might buy you some time to get to a safer spot.
If you answered C, are you sure you're not a zombie? Here, let me offer you some porridge....
PS: Unrelatedly, I've updated the About wugs page—I added a paragraph about Jean Berko Gleason, the creator of the wug test (who definitely deserves credit for all those weird bird things running around this blog). It has a link to her original experiment, which is a really important study for the field of language acquisition, and also just plain cool!
My textbook from my undergrad years, titled The Development of Language (7th Ed.) is edited by Jean Berko Gleason and Nan Bernstein Ratner. Yes, Gleason is noted to be the creator of the Wug Test in the editor's biography section as well.
ReplyDeleteThis post really brings to life the meaning of the phrase "food for thought." :-)
ReplyDeleteI have always heard that the brain is considered a muscle too...I guess that's why we're encouraged to stretch our minds?
I very much liked your post. I studied neuroscience for a bit in college and was fascinated by the brain. I wish my brain could come up with something witty to say right now about wugs and brains and mush, but it isn't happening. I will be checking out this creator of Wugs though.
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