Left and Right Brain

The human brain is an amazing computer that, despite having them for quite some time, we are only beginning to understand. Did you know that the left and right sides of your brain, called “hemispheres”, are not the same? Just like different hard disks on your computer, the 2 sides of your brain are set up to perform some different functions. Scientists study brainwave patterns of people when they do different tasks, and also look at the things people have trouble doing if they have injuries in different areas of their brains. Let’s see what they’ve discovered!

The human brain is an amazing computer that, despite having them for quite some time, we are only beginning to understand.  Did you know that the left and right sides of your brain, called “hemispheres”, are not the same?  Just like different hard disks on your computer, the 2 sides of your brain are set up to perform some different functions.  Scientists study brainwave patterns of people when they do different tasks, and also look at the things people have trouble doing if they have injuries in different areas of their brains.  Let’s see what they’ve discovered!

Left Brain – First of all, the left side of your brain is the side the controls the right side of your body (and vice versa).  For most people, the left side is the main processing center for speaking and understanding the meaning of language, though for some left-handed people there are language centers on both sides.  The left also seems to be the side that handles concrete, rational thinking better, which is used for math calculations and logical analysis.  There is also evidence that the left hemisphere is used more than the right in processing routines and responding to familiar situations.

Right Brain – The right brain controls the left side of the body.  It has less use in language, though research shows that understanding a speaker’s tone and emphasis, as well as non-verbal cues like facial expressions, happens more in the right side of the brain.  It is also linked to creativity and solving new and unfamiliar problems that don’t involve routine.

It’s important to remember that both sides of the brain handle many different jobs and that they are connected to each other, so that while one side may be used more for a certain task, both sides are always working together.