The Year of the Brain - Brief Article

Training & Development, July, 2000

Forget synergy, think synapsy. As in the brain, which exceeds Internet connectivity by an astronomical number. The typical brain has about 100 billion (that's with a b) neurons, and each neuron has one to 10,000 synaptic connections to other neurons. As our brains process information, it's influenced by the information already stored. So, how do we learn? How can we learn better?

Our cover story, "Brain-Based Learning" by Ruth Palombo Weiss, reports on what scientists are just beginning to find out about how the brain works and how we learn, with implications for optimizing or even altering brain chemistry to enhance learning. In fact, Weiss will expand on the topic of brain-based learning in an upcoming feature; stay tuned.

This issue also braves the brain-challenging topic of return-on-investment in case studies from Six-Sigma firms, LensCrafters, Sears, and Apple Computers, with lessons on getting and proving ROI.

So, turn the pages because one thing for sure has come out of brain research: Use it or lose it!