Researchers found a structure in our brain that might be responsible for cognitive functions.

  Researchers found a structure in our brain that might be responsible for cognitive functions.  

The fruit flies have astonishing mathematical abilities. And the purpose of that thing is to protect them against things like parasitic wasps. The intelligence of insects is quite a new area in neurobiology. The thing that researchers noticed astonishing mathematical abilities when they researched fruit flies caused a question about those kinds of basically abstract skills "only reflexes". 

Things like communal or social insects require mathematical skills to find parasitic wasps when they attempt to go inside their nest. To protect their nest bees and other social insects require information on how many bees are left from the base. 

And then they must have a recognition protocol to recognize members of their swarms. They need the ability to follow their swarm mates' behavior to avoid the fungus infection. So the insects have only the skills that they need. And they need lots of skills. If we think about the size of their brain. 

Researchers have noticed that fruit flies brains react similar way to threats as the human brain reacts. And that thing gives new abilities and thoughts for modeling reactions in the human brain. 

"Scientists have discovered that human brain signals form swirling spirals on the outer layer of neural tissue, which play a crucial role in organizing brain activity and cognitive processes. This discovery, based on fMRI scans, could advance our understanding of brain dynamics, potentially leading to better computational models and insights into brain diseases like dementia". (ScitechDaily.com/The Missing Link in Cognitive Processing? Scientists Discover Swirling Spirals in the Brain)

The question is are things like mathematical abilities reflexes? Are all our functions and cognitive skills only the series of reflexes? 

Researchers found whirling spiral-shaped structures in our brains. Those structures might be part of the structure or system that controls cognitive functions in our brain. Cognitive function means voluntary learning, and in that process brain selects what kind of information it wants to store in the brain. And that thing means cognitive learning means the ability to send information through the brain. 

During that process, the brain selects the information that it wants to store. The spiral-looking structure makes it possible to drive information through the brain. And during that process, the brain areas can first store that information in themselves. Then those neurons will make a network and decide do they need those memories. 

If they don't need some memories, the brain drives them straight to the garbage. The idea is that cognitive learning or storing data happens when information travels through those neural spirals a second time. If information is not needed, it will not stored in memory cells. 

The number of memory cells is impressive, but that number is limited. Cognitive skills like mathematics require that the brain release the information that they get is important for something. The neural spiral makes it possible for humans. We can also analyze information more effectively than bees. 

The bees can react more effectively than humans, but bees can't make abstract decisions. The abstract decision means that humans can make so-called "empty decisions". When some bee sees something that seems a threat it always jumps airborne. The observation is connected to reflex. Humans have reflex cells. But we also have cells that are learning new things. 

The human reflex neuron protects humans against things like falling or some strike that comes to the face. But cells that are thinking are separated from that system. And that allows humans to learn things like mathematics. 

Fruit flies have astonishing mathematical abilities. Insects require this ability for one thing. They need mathematical abilities and fast calculation to avoid the intruders like parasitic wasps. There is a possibility that the skills of those neurons could transfer to the human brain neurons. And that could improve the mathematical skills of humans. 

Maybe that thing is only some kind of futuristic vision. However, researchers are making tests by using brain simulation to adjust the brain to learn mathematics. Mathematics is the abstract thing that requires that a person follows certain orders. One way to stimulate the brain to start like mathematics is to stimulate brain areas that control good feelings by using electric impulses. 

Researchers use electric shocks to improve mathematical skills. The fact is that the brain cells are interacting by using certain types of chemicals and signals. In neural models, the same signals and chemicals that make fruit flies able to calculate things are also making human brain cells make the same things. 

https://mindmatters.ai/2022/02/single-neurons-perform-complex-math-even-in-fruit-flies/

https://neurosciencenews.com/locomotion-brain-center-23868/

https://scitechdaily.com/electrifying-learning-how-brain-stimulation-can-improve-math-learning/?expand_article=1

https://scitechdaily.com/perceiving-quantities-fruit-flies-astonishing-numerical-abilities/

https://scitechdaily.com/the-missing-link-in-cognitive-processing-scientists-discover-swirling-spirals-in-the-brain/