Magnetic resonance imaging scan showing a healthy human brain
Simon Fraser/Science Photo Library
The human brain requires more energy than other animals, especially in certain key areas, and this may be key to our complex cognitive evolution. Knowing how energy expenditure differs across the brain could also help us better understand and treat certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.
Some mammals have larger brains and more nerve cells, or neurons, than humans, so it’s unclear how humans evolved their uniquely advanced ability to think critically…
