Learning

We are but a speck.

In this universe, there is an infinite amount of information at our disposal, and we can begin to gather said information and use it for our own benefit. The possibilities of what we can do with that information are endless! Oh, what wonderful new ideas can be created from the massive ether up above? Limitless amounts of knowledge abounds, it's all around us.

Yes, this grand power is at our disposal. Imagine what can be done! Take any small morsel of knowledge and you can do something with it! It's incredible! What can you create with this? What can be done?! Oh, wonderful new pieces of architecture you can make! You can solve the most complicated algebra problems, learn how an engine works, unlock the secrets of DNA, discover what brings us to the ground, change the world! We have this power at our disposal! We've all had the opportunity to change the world!

I know I've had the opportunity to do something.

Just today, I saw a chemistry text book in my room. I had yet to use it, so I told myself,

"I'm going to learn something new! I'll be able to do something with my new found knowledge! I will change the world."

I picked up the book, opened it and said,

"Fuck that, I'm gonna go watch television."

Learning is a good thing. In my psychology class, we learned about these fancy little things called neurons, also known as brain cells. They make us do things like run, think, punch, fly (a plane, of course), kowtow, speak, spell, everything.

A neuron is a special cell. The cell body has a bunch of tiny little branches that resemble roots protruding from it. These tiny little roots are called dendrites. They're helpful!

The neuron also has a long tail-like structure looking thing protruding from the cell body as well. This is the axon. The axon is pretty long and slender and ends with some other root resembling structures called the axon terminals. The axon is also very helpful!

There are a bunch of other stuff on and in the neurons, but you can look that up for yourself. We're just going to focus on those two structures and get on with whatever it is this blog is about.

Axons and dendrites are like best friends. The neuron will create an impulse of sorts and the impulse will travel down the axon and eventually the impulse reaches the axon terminals. Near the axon terminals are dendrites of another neuron! The impulse jumps from the terminals to the dendrites. The dendrites carry the impulse to the cell and the cycle goes on, through the new cell's axon, and onto more dendrites and such. Different impulses and types of neurons do different things, like allow us to move, think, feel good, lots of stuff.

Basically, axons carry impulses away from the cell body, and dendrites bring them to the cell.

Now then, in my psychology class, we were learning about learning. I thought it was kind of weird. I was learning about what I was doing. It's like, a never ending chain, or ouroboros, or something messed up like that. Anyway our professor told us that learning and trying new things helps your neuron's dendrites stay healthy and such! Making new cell connections by learning helps dendrites stay alive! Unfortunately, not stimulating your mind can cause your dendrites to break down, which isn't good at all. It's sad. Healthy dendrites are important for good cell communication, you guys.

So there's that. Apart from the fact that your brain cells will start sucking if you don't learn new stuff, there are other detrimental effects that can occur from not stimulating your sane mind with new things.

I probably could have come up with a neat pun using "detrimental effects" in the previous sentence. Dendrimental effects... If you get that, I will love you.

As I wrote about in a previous article, learning helps break the monotonous curse that can be inflicted upon us all. There may also be something you don't understand, like why some people suck so much, or how politics are all messed up and stuff. You may feel helpless about it all. But you can change that by learning about it and attempting to change it. Or if you don't get how something works, like gravity, you can read and learn!

You guys, becoming educated and learning is really important. Keep your mind stimulated and happy. It won't get bored, and you'll stay sane. Learning doesn't have to just occur in institutions of mandatory learning. There are these cool places called libraries with books. Or meet someone new. Walk a home a new way. Try selling your illegal drugs in a new alley, learn how to make frittata. Like I said earlier, there's a crapload of knowledge out there. Go make the effort to learn something new. You won't regret it. Hopefully...