Amygdala: helps detect threats and triggers fear and stress responses. It’s not always about danger, though, because it also activates when something is important to us and we are about to take a risk :) Fear is not always indicative of warning, and it’s not always indicative of danger. Sometimes fear can be a doorway, to do good. In my life, to be honest, there’s been a lot of fear. There’s been fear in speaking because of the way my stutter might betray me, or walking into

Occipital Lobe: The occipital lobe processes visual information, which is how we recognize faces, scenes, and make sense of what we see. But seeing is not the same as understanding, and vision alone can distort and shape how we judge people. The first time I saw the system firsthand, I didn’t see justice. I saw cages. As part of my internship with the Bergen County Commissioner’s office, I went on a tour of one of our county prisons. But not just any prison, the maximum secur

Temporal Lobe: The temporal lobe assists in process sound and language, so it shapes how we understand words, tone, and meaning. In this lobe, hearing turns to interpretation, which is why what we hear can stay with us, even after the moment passes. What do you hear when the world makes judgments about who you are? I once believed that hearing was a passive thing, like the sound of rain hitting the car window. But in the classroom and the courtroom, hearing is judgment, proph

When Does the Brain Speak for You? A Capstone Project Proposal Why does this topic matter to you? Why does this topic matter to a broader audience? I have both lived with noticing my brain and without noticing my brain. When I’m cooking, cleaning, weightlifting, I’m on autopilot—even if my brain is actively on. But, when I struggle, or watch others struggle, I can feel my brain. What does this mean? My ESL teacher placed her wrinkly hands on top of mine. I tilted my head dow

Broca’s area—a region in the left frontal lobe that helps you produce speech. It helps turn thoughts and comprehension into spoken words, and when it is disrupted, speaking can become slow, effortful, or broken. Would I ever feel comfortable speaking? My ESL teacher placed her wrinkly hands on top of mine. I tilted my head down, hiding my tears. I had been stuck on the same word for nearly ten minutes. I tried again. My mother tongue clashed with my new language: English. Eve

Hippocampus: The hippocampus is involved in forming new memories, and helping you keep track of what is happening during your life! In AD (Alzheimer’s disease) and Dementia, this memory system is often damaged early, which is why people can repeat questions, forget recent events, and feel lost even in familiar conversations. Am I going to jail? He asked. He was sitting across from us in a worn rocking chair, at the assisted living home, his eyes locked on mine. My client,