How to build a [water] brain Whenever I try to teach some
aspects of neuronal integration in class, I run into trouble,
since most of the neuronal properties are defined by
mathematical formulae that describe the electrical properties of
neurons that are sometimes difficult for the students to grasp.
Without a basic knowledge of electricity, it is hard to build a
conceptual image of what neurons are doing. Or is it? I was
invited to talk about the brain to a group of 9-11 year old
pupils in a primary school in the North Shore yesterday, when I
thought it might be fun to try to build neurons and discover how
they worked. So, here is my water neuron: It turns out, this
little water neuron (which can be built with pretty much
household items) has a lot to show about the passive properties
of neurons. The pipette dropper was used to inject [current]
water into the different dendrites. Because of the properties of
the dropper, there is a limit to the amount of current that can
be injected at a given time, and the