Your understanding isn't determined by just one part of your brain, but by the entire network; read what new research says

News Topical, Digital Desk : The power of the human brain and how it works has remained a mystery for centuries. Until now, we've all believed that a specific part of our brain is responsible for our intelligence. It was believed that if this part is working properly, the brain will function quickly, and if it's malfunctioning, a person may become mentally retarded. However, a recent, startling study has completely upended this old belief.

What does the new research say?

According to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, intelligence doesn't stem from any one specific brain region or function. Instead, it depends on how our entire brain works together. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame in the US have revealed that intelligence is the result of the brain's “holistic activities.”

Researchers analyzed brain imaging and data from 831 adults as part of the Human Connectome Project. A separate study was also conducted on a group of 145 adults. This in-depth analysis led scientists to conclude that intelligence is linked to the coordination and optimization of brain-wide networks.

The true basis of intelligence

The study is based on the theory of network neuroscience, which states that intelligence reflects how our brain networks interact to solve various problems we face in life.

Ramsay Wilcox of Notre Dame University, the study's lead author, explains that they have found evidence of a system in the brain that coordinates the entire system. This coordination isn't limited to thinking , but rather determines how many processes our brains can handle simultaneously. Simply put, brain performance, flexibility, and integration are not characteristics of any one part, but of the entire system.

The brain's 'shortcuts' and connections

Psychology professor Aaron Barbey explains this process in more detail. According to him, our brain is like a vast and complex connection system. This system acts as "shortcuts" to connect distant parts of the brain.

General intelligence depends on how well the brain balances its local characteristics with the integration of the entire system. That is, it's not where the intelligence is located that matters, but how the entire system is organized.

4 important findings of the research

The researchers found that general intelligence is primarily based on four factors:

• Combination of multiple networks: This engages multiple networks simultaneously, which supports the theory that the brain has a distributed function.
• Weak but effective connections: It relies on weak and long-term connections, which create a global and effective network.
• Network organization: It uses fields that organize the interworking of the network.
• System-wide communication: It relies on a small but global architecture for communication throughout the brain.

This research has made it clear that intelligence cannot be confined to a single box or component. It is the exquisite coordination between the billions of wires and networks in our brain.

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