welcome to the human brain

When you are starting a new job in less than a week, you’re dealing with at least two lists. There’s the long errand and shopping and chore-focused to-do list (get dress tailored, do laundry, buy black boots, sew buttons on cardigan…), and then there’s the more abstract list of things that would be fun or smart or healthy for you to do while you have the time, so you can at least tell yourself that you took advantage of the last few days of this period that gets dramatically and not entirely accurately referred to as “freedom.” If you live in New York, topping the list of things you always want and mean to do, but rarely manage is: Go to a museum. Miraculously, Alice had free passes to the Museum of Natural History. Even better, she was willing to play hooky from work to go with me.

In the special exhibit about the brain, I learned that if neurons were marbles, each of us would have enough to fill the New York Public Library. Some of the text in the exhibit was hilariously matter-of-fact, like, “Just when you’re trying your best to be reasonable, your emotions can lead you astray.” There was also this: “By the time you reach your twenties, your brain is functioning at its peak. After that, little by little, the number of neural connections declines.” We played games designed to test your memory and reaction time and various other things we all hope to be good at: trying to trace a shape while looking in a mirror, reading names of colors printed in other colors, attempting to learn the Braille alphabet in a couple of minutes. Then we went to the museum café and each had an $11 panini.

Since it was snowing and a weekday, there was hardly anyone in the butterfly conservatory, so we got to walk around in the humid little tank for as long as we wanted, pointing and exclaiming at the butterflies flying around (The giant shiny blue one! The lacy orange and white one! The one with transparent wings!) and getting a little delirious from the sudden heat. Being in that place is perfect therapy for wintertime; it makes you giddy and melt-y and prone to hugging your friend and telling her how happy you are to be right there with her.

Later, we listened to Whoopi Goldberg narrate a “journey” into space. We watched a strange IMAX movie about aquatic dinosaurs. We went up to the fourth floor and walked through room after room (or “hall” after “hall”) of those dinosaurs and their relatives, skeletons and reconstructions and missing pieces. We went to the Hall of Ocean Life and looked up at the giant whale and at the dioramas that are my favorite, favorite thing—so carefully staged and gently glowing—and then traipsed through the North American Forests and New York State Environment sections, clearly the least loved and restored parts of the museum, with their dated signage and general quaintness, on our way to the hall of minerals and gems, where we wanted to go because we are girls and we like sparkly things. Or really, because I used to be obsessed with rocks.

I used to be obsessed with lots of the things the museum is preoccupied with, which is maybe why I have more affection for it than I do for the Met. The Natural History Museum feels more personal, making me think about how fiercely I used to love dinosaurs—how all kids love dinosaurs, and always will, and how mind-bendingly cool they are to people of all ages, whether or not they want to admit it (the array of dino-themed merch in the giftshop testifies to this, and while I’m on board with a dinosaur-shaped ladle and an ice-cube tray that makes ice in the shape of dinosaur bones, I could do without the pink kiddie t-shirt emblazoned with a sparkly dinosaur and the words “Prehistoric Princess”). All these dinosaurs remind me that, at one early point, I vaguely wanted to be a paleontologist (who didn’t?). The oddly straightforward and therefore semi-uncomfortable histories of various peoples remind me that I wanted to be an archaeologist. The meteors and big hunks of crazily colored rock remind me that for a little while, I really, really wanted to be a geologist. Or an environmentalist or some kind, testing rain with little ph strips to find out its acid content. Or some other profession that involved catching salamanders and subjecting them to a series of random, gentle tests. The trappings of science have always been a real stimulant for me, probably more than art, even though art is technically where my loyalties lie. Science sucks me in with its taxonomies and patient explanations (even if I don’t understand them; Whoopi’s narration in the planetarium was enthusiastic, but it didn’t make it any easier to process the idea of space or dark matter or how a star is born), its objects lined up and labeled behind glass.

My various science-y aspirations pretty much ended when I got to middle school and realized I couldn’t wrap my brain around carbon dating or isotopes or even fractions. It’s a little sad, mostly in retrospect, and mostly because it lines up so neatly and misleadingly with the abilities girls are and aren’t supposed to be confident about at that age. It’s depressing to think about how I much I used to love experiments, until I had to do them in a classroom with an accompanying worksheet or lab report, and grades. But I don’t think I was ever really going to be a scientist. The way I love all this stuff now is the same way I loved it as a kid, based on emotions and aesthetics. I’m romanced by it in a way that doesn’t require real understanding or expertise, and in some ways depends on the lack of exactly those things. It’s enough for me to look at everything laid out so carefully, the volume and detail of it overwhelming, and to let myself be amazed by big things like time and extinction, and little things like the birds painted into the background of a diorama, and the way stars looked on the curved ceiling of the planetarium. There’s the memory of a field trip here to see “Dinosaurs Alive” when I was in second grade, two Rainforest Alliance galas held in the shadow of the giant whale, tumbled rocks in the gift shop that my fingers are still drawn to. And now this quiet, perfect, snowy day in a museum with a good friend, right before things change again.

25,088 responses to “welcome to the human brain”

  1. Michaelenrox

    this is gives a chance to researchers to systematically investigate the function of genes on the framework of the entire genome, identifying new regulators of stem cell fate, pluripotency, http://otg.cn.ua/2021/04/28/news-gromady/news-ivanivska/nova-ambulatoriya-u-ivanivskij-otg/ and differentiation264,265.

  2. Michelledew

    ? ?????, ??? ?? ??????????. ??????? ??????? ???. ?????? ??? ? PM, ?????????.
    ??? ????????? ??? ??????? ????????, http://hmcrack.org/igraj-i-vyigryvaj-v-pokerdom-unikalnye/ ???????????????? ? ??????. ???????? ????????? 10 ????? ??????. ??????? ?????????????? ??? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? – ?? ??????????.

  3. CynthiaHap

    ??? ????? ?????????? ??????

  4. Allergic conjunctivitis treatment plans

    Allergic conjunctivitis treatment tools Allergic conjunctivitis treatment options Allergic conjunctivitis treatment phases
    Allergic conjunctivitis treatment duration Allergic conjunctivitis treatment stages Allergic conjunctivitis treatment duration
    Allergic conjunctivitis treatment resources
    Allergic conjunctivitis treatment specialists Allergic conjunctivitis treatment schedules Allergic conjunctivitis treatment resources
    Allergic conjunctivitis treatment procedures Allergic conjunctivitis treatment cycles Allergic conjunctivitis treatment resources

  5. cost of nitroglycerin no prescription
  6. SophiaClons

    ????? ??????????? ?????
    ????? ???????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????????, ??? ?????????? ?????, ?????????? ??????????, ?????? ????? ? ?????, ?????? ??????, ????? ????? ?????, https://www.il-brichignar.it/2025/03/28/luchshij-obzor-bc-casino-igrajte-i-vyigryvajte/ ? ????? ?????????? ??????? ? ?????? ??????.

  7. RayfordFen
  8. can i purchase generic clomid online

    where can i buy cheap clomid without prescription get clomid without a prescription get clomid no prescription
    order cheap clomid no prescription cost of clomid without a prescription can i purchase generic clomid without prescription
    cost of clomid pill
    buying clomid no prescription can i purchase clomid no prescription where to buy cheap clomid no prescription
    can i buy generic clomid without prescription where can i get generic clomid no prescription can you buy cheap clomid for sale

  9. RobertChita
  10. MicolaToila

    At HotPornPhotos.info, we prioritize your privacy and safety. Our platform is designed to protect you while offering the hottest content available online! ??

    We have the hottest content available for your viewing pleasure! ??
    https://intimateshots.info for more content!

  11. Georgesox
  12. Georgesox
  13. generic clozaril no prescription
  14. RobertChita
  15. ??? ?????

    dem man es ansah,???? ???da? esfür festliche Zeiten gespart ward,

  16. MicolaToila

    Are you tired of boring adult sites? Try our community at IntimateShots.info where you can share your interests and connect with others who love Sex. ??

    Check out our latest uploads on https://eroticgallery.info to check out our featured content!

  17. Jaredves

    ???? ??????????????? ????? ?? ????, ? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ?? ???????????? ??? ????.
    Table gameplay in roulette or cards of the state of Missouri presented all classic role-playing games, such as blackjack, craps, roulette, http://fletesaltena.com/2025/04/01/gagner-avec-winner-bet-votre-guide-complet/ and baccarat.

  18. ????? ???

    perhaps,?said the Hatter: “but you could keep it tohalf-past one as long as you liked.????? ??

  19. MicolaToila

    Looking for something hot and steamy? Check out our latest collection on IntimateShots.info! ??

    Check out our latest uploads on
    https://lustyphotos.info for more content!

  20. MicolaToila

    At NaughtySnapshots.info, we prioritize your privacy and safety. Our platform is designed to protect you while offering the hottest content available online! ??

    We have the hottest content available for your viewing pleasure! ??
    https://passionatepix.info for more content!

  21. ???? ??? ???? ?? ????? ??????

    I am truly grateful to the owner of this website who has
    shared this impressive article at at this place.

  22. ?? ??????

    Outside our door was what,for wantof a better term,????? ??

  23. JHONBET77 link alternatif

    Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this site.
    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between user friendliness and visual appeal.
    I must say you have done a amazing job with this.
    Additionally, the blog loads very fast for me on Safari.

    Exceptional Blog!

  24. ????? ??

    kam zweimal,abw?rts undaufw?rts vorüber,???? ???

  25. buy spacer for albuterol inhaler

    cost of albuterol price where can i get generic albuterol without rx where can i get albuterol online
    buying cheap albuterol prices cheap albuterol without insurance how to buy cheap albuterol without insurance
    where can i buy albuterol
    getting albuterol prescription online buy generic albuterol tablets get cheap albuterol no prescription
    where to buy generic albuterol prices can i buy generic albuterol buy cheap albuterol for sale

  26. MicolaToila

    Looking for something hot and steamy? Check out our latest collection on PassionatePix.info! ??

    Check out our latest uploads on
    https://seductiveimages.info to join our vibrant community!

  27. xxxleaders.top

    You need to take part in a contest for one of the greatest sites online.
    I’m going to recommend this web site!

  28. ?? ?????

    near the city ofCuzco,exhibited distinct marks of having undergone a like operation.?? ? ?????

  29. ????? ??

    The distance she kept him fanned his passion all themore.?? ? ?????‘Tell me something about yourself,

  30. Adolfoknise

    Hello everyone!
    Experience the iMedix Health Series, your ultimate destination for expert health advice; health enthusiasts seeking to understand the benefits of spending time in nature for well-being will find our series supportive, offering professional medical insights and reliable healthcare guidance with practical tips and trusted wellness tips to connect with the outdoors.
    Access the iMedix Wellness Program for reliable healthcare guidance, your partner in iMedix health care; wellness seekers interested in the science of happiness will find our positive psychology tips uniquely uplifting, offering expert health advice and professional medical insights alongside trusted wellness tips for greater life satisfaction.
    More information at the site – https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-exploring-the-therapeutic-163222771/episode/suhagra-25-mg-a-medical-deep-163222772/
    Wishing you luck!

  31. ?? ??????

    I presume? ?‘Of course.?? ? ?????And now,

  32. animal hospital near me

    It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the longer term
    and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could
    I want to recommend you few interesting issues or advice.
    Perhaps you can write subsequent articles relating to this article.
    I desire to read more issues about it!

  33. MicolaToila

    Explore Our Featured Content!

    We have the hottest content available for your viewing pleasure! ??
    https://intimateshots.info to explore our secure platform!

  34. get generic prasugrel for sale

    where can i get generic prasugrel pills can you buy prasugrel tablets prasugrel vs clopidogrel trial
    ticagrelor more effective than prasugrel how can i get generic prasugrel without rx where can i get prasugrel without a prescription
    buying generic prasugrel without dr prescription
    how to get prasugrel without a prescription where to get cheap prasugrel without prescription order generic prasugrel online
    where to buy cheap prasugrel without prescription can i order cheap prasugrel where can i buy generic prasugrel no prescription

  35. MicolaToila

    Looking for something hot and steamy? Check out our latest collection on EroticGallery.info! ??

    Visit
    https://seductiveimages.info for more content!

  36. get zebeta online
  37. MicolaToila

    Are you tired of boring adult sites? Try our community at IntimateShots.info where you can share your interests and connect with others who love XXX. ??

    Visit
    https://naughtysnapshots.info to explore our secure platform!

  38. login srikandiqq

    I needed to thank you for this very good read!! I definitely
    enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book-marked to check out new
    stuff you post…

  39. MicolaToila

    Are you tired of boring adult sites? Try our community at NaughtySnapshots.info where you can share your interests and connect with others who love Porn. ??

    Visit
    https://seductiveimages.info to explore our secure platform!

  40. JamesBiort
  41. MicolaToila

    Are you tired of boring adult sites? Try our community at SeductiveImages.info where you can share your interests and connect with others who love XXX. ??

    We have the hottest content available for your viewing pleasure! ?? https://eroticgallery.info to check out our featured content!

  42. MicolaToila

    Are you tired of boring adult sites? Try our community at NaughtySnapshots.info where you can share your interests and connect with others who love Porn. ??

    We have the hottest content available for your viewing pleasure! ??
    https://adultpicszone.info and we’re having a blast together! Highly recommend this site!

  43. DarrenSup
  44. MicolaToila

    Looking for something hot and steamy? Check out our latest collection on ExplicitImages.info! ??

    Check out our latest uploads on
    https://naughtysnapshots.info to explore our secure platform!

  45. MicolaToila

    Are you tired of boring adult sites? Try our community at EroticGallery.info where you can share your interests and connect with others who love Sex. ??

    Visit
    https://intimateshots.info for more content!

  46. ????? ??

    upon which no calm embrace would be suitablIllustration: “OH! GOOD-BYE,AUNT REBECC”]“ll be as good,????? sex

  47. https://higo.vn/

    I visit day-to-day a few sites and sites to read articles
    or reviews, however this website presents feature based posts.

  48. MicolaToila

    At LustyPhotos.info, we prioritize your privacy and safety. Our platform is designed to protect you while offering the hottest content available online! ??

    We have the hottest content available for your viewing pleasure! ??
    https://intimateshots.info to join our vibrant community!

  49. ?? ??????

    their faces sun tanned to the colour of theirsaddles,????? ? ??picturesque figures in their goatskin chaparejos,

  50. MicolaToila

    At AdultPicsZone.info, we prioritize your privacy and safety. Our platform is designed to protect you while offering the hottest content available online! ??

    Visit
    https://explicitimages.info to explore our secure platform!

Leave a Reply