How We Learn

The video explains how learning involves absorbing new information and rearranging neural connections. It uses the example of Rebecca, a gymnast, to illustrate how practice strengthens these connections, making new skills easier to perform over time. The process begins with an electrical impulse in the brain, which must cross synapses to form new pathways. Initially challenging, repeated practice makes these pathways stronger, supporting the adage that practice makes perfect.

What happens to our neurons when we learn something new?

Describe the process that occurs when an electrical impulse jumps across a nerve cell gap.

What is a synapse and why is it important in the learning process?

Why does the first attempt at learning a new skill often feel difficult?

How does practice influence the ease of performing a new skill?