Analytical Power

Making New Connections

Intro:

Hello! Hope you are all doing well, and staying safe during this quarantine period.

My name is Hemal Gor and I’m currently studying Biochemistry at Imperial College London. Welcome back to the Linking Life skills with Science series. As Yogesh mentioned in the previous post, we will be using previous case studies, scientific data and current affair situations to support our arguments. We will move into podcasts at a later date, so stay tuned for that…

Main Discussion:

Information can be presented in a wide variety of ways. In Computing we see it as Bits and Bytes. When we talk to someone information is in the form of sound. When we read a text message, information is stored in the characters and letters we use .

It’s amazing that we are able to make sense of all of this information . This is due to the human minds unique ability to break down complex strings of information into smaller units that can be understood better.

The process that I have just described to you is known as analysis.

It is a skill that has been treasured ever since early humans developed complex brains, The ability to look at a complex task and break it into smaller components to make it easier to perform has been a highly prized and sought after skill.

Picture yourself as a hunter gatherer on the plains of east Africa, looking for a meal to feed your family. Analytical skills were needed to plan your hunt with your fellow tribes people , and to co-ordinate your ambush.

Even In the modern day, people with highly developed analytical skills often find themselves in the most sought after jobs –including various financial and managerial jobs. Perhaps the most important application of analytical skills in the modern day is in the scientific world.

Scientists need to be able to analyse and process large sets of data. They also need to be able to have a research question and break it up into smaller components so that each aspect of what you are trying to find out can be studied.

In essence they need to have an analytical mind.

So how do we develop an analytical mind? Well, for starters, the process takes many years. We develop this ability as children when we play simple games like stacking blocks, learning the alphabet , even board games and some mobile games teach the early mind how to be analytical [i]

After 18 years of strengthening the neural connections in the brain , the human mind is able to develop strategies and perform complex tasks. These can range from how to talk, attract a person you are interested in, solving advanced mathematical problems and how to start a side business to make money.

Now let’s talk about some basic Neuroscience and think about where in our brain does all this complicated analysis occur. fMRI analysis (function Magnetic resonance imaging ) shows that the Frontal cortex is involved in higher level complex tasks like analysis. The greater the density of nerve cells in this region, the stronger the computing power of the individual. This shows up as Gray matter in scans. [ii]

Conclusion:

I’m sure that by now you’ve understood the importance of having an analytical mind in the modern day. I’ll leave you with one last thought:

Since the 1990s, Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly advanced and is now at a stage where many jobs can be automated. We’re being given a run for our money by the very machines that we decided. In a time of great competition with computing algorithms, the need to develop strong problem solving and analytical skills are perhaps the highest in human history.

links:[i]https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-science-of-ecd/[ii]https://www.nature.com/news/2004/040719/full/news040719-11.html

Are you ready to make that new connection?

Stay tuned for more next week….