Despite the monumental effort people sometimes make to prove otherwise, it turns out that all humans do have brains, and these brains are actually pretty remarkable. For starters, brains have around 86 billion neurons. Sadly, this is not the same as the number of stars in the Milky Way, as you might have heard, but it’s still over a third. Each neuron can also move information between them at a peak speed of 250 miles an hour, which is as fast as a Bugatti Veyron. Another incredible thing you might not know about brains is that they all appear to have a unique “fingerprint” … that scientists might have just found.
A Brainy Identifier
At this point, we are all pretty familiar with biometrics — the process that allows us to use unique biological identifiers, such as eyes and fingers, to separate us from the 8 billion others out there. Often, these biometrics allow us to gain access to sensitive information, which is why it’s a good idea to keep your eyes and fingers on you at all times. But, according to research published in Nature Communications, our brains produce patterns of activity that are also completely unique to us, like a signature, or neural fingerprint. The kicker?
Not only do our brains continually change over time, but with near-perfect accuracy, scientists can now use these brain fingerprints to identify an individual from a large crowd. (You can almost hear George Orwell turning in his grave).
To help find these fingerprints, researchers at the University of Birmingham created models from neuroimaging data to reveal how different brain regions contribute to specific functions and behaviors. Neuroscientist and lead researcher Dr. Enrico Amico explained that the team used MRI scans to examine “networks and connections within the brain…especially the links between different areas, to gain greater insight into how things work.”
Their method has actually become so refined that the team can now identify the unique “brain fingerprint” in under two minutes. Not only do these signatures distinguish individuals; but they also provide extremely valuable insights into brain function over time. Dr. Amico highlighted the practical implications, emphasizing how this discovery could benefit those with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s by offering “valuable insights into how brain function is changing over time or even identifying pre-clinical symptoms of these conditions.”
Impressive stuff.
A Thoughtful Reality
Our brain fingerprints are also constantly changing, which — beyond the remarkable (and somewhat concerning) reveal that we can be identified essentially by their fluctuating frequencies — invites us to ask deeper questions about our identity. Are we, at our core, really fixed entities? Do we evolve moment by moment?
This idea could go even further to reinforce one well-researched hypothesis: Our minds are not simply passive observers; they actually shape the reality around us. Could it be that our brains act as a feedback loop, creating environmental influences on how we think and feel, which, in turn, alters the neural activity that forms our brain fingerprint and the process begins again?
If this is true, it means that we are not only constantly adapting to our environment; but consistently evolving who we are in a dynamic process that continues throughout our lives. (And, if that’s the case, maybe it’s time to stop blaming our “Monday morning brain” on a lack of coffee and attribute it to those pesky neurons instead).
A Mindful Future
Regardless of the interplay between environment and neural activity, what this research breakthrough ultimately underscores is the extraordinary adaptability of the human brain and that there is likely so much more for us to learn about it.
Indeed, with the advent of AI (of which early models were ironically based on neural networks), we may soon be able to gain a far deeper insight into how our brains and minds truly function. If we can remove the element of “black box” AI ownership in the future, AI might open a wealth of valuable information about who we are and how we work.
And that is a very exciting prospect … until, of course, someone learns how to hack a brain.
