In this essay, Alice Brand discusses the importance biology has in our development as a species as well as an individual. She begins the essay by pointing out a tiny little gland on our brains called the amygdala and argues that it is one of the most important pieces of our brains for memory. Throughout the essay she explains the different functions of the brain and how exactly it has helped us evolve. But she also talks about its importance in healing.
Emotion plays a large role in this essay, and Brand clearly conveys the lack of attention it gets in education. She argues that we have survived this long because of emotion and classrooms thrive or die because of it. Without emotion, and the highly important amygdala, humans wouldn't be as intelligent and evolved as we are. Brand puts this information forward so that the we can also learn about ways of healing, through language and the natural abilities of the brain. She argues that this is an important and inevitable process, but we seem to ignore it for more rational alternatives.
What I found most interesting about this essay was how the amygdala is fully developed before the hippocampus, which allows memories from early childhood too be stored and saved. Our amygdala's are also responsible for a host of emotions and memories that often impact us without us even realizing. I think the brain is fascinating in general and it is even cooler to hear how our brains are basically machines for dreams and memories.
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