Behold, the human brain: Often compared to a computer, the body’s most complex organ operates using a code of electrical and chemical signals. These signals transmit through wires, nodes and networks to process and store information.

Through these operations, the brain directs our unconscious bodily functions, such as our appetites and levels of wakefulness, as well as “higher order” cognitive abilities — solving problems, generating ideas, planning for the future. The brain has inherent plasticity, meaning it dynamically responds to novel information and literally restructures itself to accommodate new memories and new interpretations of the world around us.