If it were not, humans would not be able to overcome the wide range of challenges that we encounter during the course of our lives. The idea that the brain remains capable of learning for a lifetime remains undisputed from a scientific viewpoint. Sellers of so-called brain jogging programmes are now picking up on this idea, offering exercises which are intended to increase learning and memory performance. Some neurobiologists even draw comparisons with a muscle which can be trained. Today, however, we know that the brain is being constantly transformed right up until old age. Until a few years ago, scientists thought one thing was certain: an adult’s brain will not change. But how can a collection of neurons learn anything in the first place? And can this ability be specifically improved? One of its most important characteristics is its ability to learn. The human brain is the most complicated organ that nature has ever created: 100 billion nerve cells and many more contact points between them provide our brain with capabilities that no supercomputer can match to this day.
