My nephew, age 4.5, is currently very interested in what people do for a living. My sister explained that I am a scientist, “like Nina in Nina and the Neurons.” Which is fairly accurate, Nina is more of a science communicator that a hardcore scientist.
However, he now has a question – he knows neurons don’t use words, but how do they talk to each other?
I’ve been trying to come up with an answer that doesn’t use words like synapse or electrochemical but it always seems a bit much for someone who thinks tying his own shoelaces makes him nearly a man :)
Don’t they either prod each other with electric shocks or spit chemicals at their nearest neighbours? Neurons – they may be useful but they’re not nice.
I like that, although his mum won’t if he pretends to be a neuron! He does know what electricity is, not sure if he understands chemistry yet…
Neuroscience For Kids is a fab resource for this kind of stuff.
Hhmm – on reflection, a tad advanced for a 4.5 year old :(
Yes, I did have a quick look but he can’t really read yet… Still, I think I’ve learnt a few things!
“he knows neurons don’t use words, but how do they talk to each other?”
You don’t actually have to explain how it works precisely. Right now he is just confused because he’s heard “neurons talk to each other” and can’t imagine how that works without language, so you can do some games to make him aware of other ways to communicate. For example, with a group of people you can pass on a signal by hold hands and squeezing, and passing on the squeeze to the next person as soon as you receive it (and have the last person say when it gets there). It’s not how neurons work exactly, but it’s a way to show how a message can be passed across without talking – and that is what neurons do.
Go Eva – excellent idea! What I’ve also found with my son (he’s 5) is that I don’t necessarily deliberately hold back with ‘big words’. As long as you explain what they mean with words kids can understand, might as well call things what they are (our hands are now synapses..) – one day, they’ll start sticking and making sense.
I think Steffi nailed that one – I’m always surprised by the seemingly complex concepts/words that kids pick up on a better than basic level. In that spirit:
Neurons “talk to one another” by sharing stuff they make called neurotransmitters with another neuron. Neurotransmitters are kind of like different-shaped blocks. Each different block only fits in pockets that have the same shape. So when one neuron shares stars, only those other neurons around who have start-shaped pockets get the message. Kind of like a secret code. Each neuron can have lots of differently-shaped pockets, so they can receive presents from lots of other neurons who make all different shapes. But they can only make one shape for themselves to share. Because it is fun to share, neurons often make sure they are next to other neurons who have pockets of the right shape, so that their neurotransmitter shapes don’t go to waste! And that is how the brain is organized, with ALL the neurons always looking for friends that have the right pockets with whom they can share.
When a neuron is REALLY excited, it shares lots of its shape, telling lots of other neurons its message again and again. But sometimes it only wants to share with 1 or 2 other neurons at a time, telling its secret message only once. So when there are lots of excited neurons sharing with lots of other neurons (which of course makes those other neurons excited too!!) our bodies feel it and begin to do different things. When only a few neurons are excited, our bodies don’t notice and stand still. So having lots of excited neurons, or only a few excited neurons, can be the difference between moving your arm or leaving it hang. Remembering that your favorite toy is in the toy chest, or forgetting and looking in all the wrong places. Turning around when someone calls your name, or not hearing them call you.
Neurons do lots of important jobs, all by sharing and working together!
Thanks all, I have some really good ideas now! It’s a good point about whether children need to understand the words we use at the time we explain something. I do want to tell him something that’s relatively accurate but at the same time in an entertaining way so that he keeps his intense curiousity as long as possible. Most of his questions in the past have been about mechanics and space, but neuroscience is a bit out of my area!
My nephew is 11 and, being an inquisitive little chap, occasionally asks his dad “science questions”. His dad (my brother) is a policeman with a BA in
slacking offsmoking the weeddoing bugger all at tax payers expenseGraphic Design, so he writes them down and then once a month or so young Corey and I have a telephone conversation where I answer his questions. It’s brilliant fun! My favourites are the cool abstract questions like “what’s outside the universe?”…’Brane & String theory for fifth graders!Ian, are you writing down those conversations with your nephew?.. At the very least, they’d make an absolutely fantastic present for him one day (for graduation?).