Neuroscience For Kids

Treasure Trove of Brain Trivia

A collection of trivia about the brain and nervous system from the archives of the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter. For more trivia about the brain, see brain facts and figures.

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January, 2012

A. Weng Feng, 21 years old, won the 2011 World Memory Championship that was held last month in Guangzhou, China. He broke three world memorization records on his way to his top score. For details of about this event, visit:

http://www.worldmemorychampionship.com/index.asp

B. Psychologist William James was born on January 11, 1842; Nobel Prize-winning scientist Roger Guillemin was also born on January 11 in 1924.

C. 10% of babies develop their tactile corneal reflex in at least one eye at 2 days of age, 25% at 1 week, 50% at 3.5 weeks, 75% at 6 weeks, and 100% at 12 weeks. (Source: Snir, et al., Tactile corneal reflex development in full-term babies, Ophthalmology, 109:526-529, 2002).

D. Cranial nerves IX (glossopharyngeal), X (vagus) and XI (spinal accessory) go through the jugular foramen of the skull.

E. When it is light outside for 24 hrs each day and in temperatures of approximately 0.8 degrees C, Emperor penguins spend 45.1% of the entire 24 hour day asleep. In alternating day/night conditions and in temperatures between -14 degrees C and -17 degrees C, these penguins spend 41.3% of the entire 24 hour day asleep. (Source: Buchet C, Dewasmes G, Le Maho Y., An electrophysiological and behavioral study of sleep in emperor penguins under natural ambient conditions, Physiology and Behavior, 38(3):331-335, 1986.)

More trivia from other years:

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998

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