If you’re a fan of memes, you’ve probably heard the phrase “big brains” before. This phrase implies that a person is a genius. Colloquially, this phrase makes sense. However, it is actually scientifically inaccurate. (In fact, having a brain that is larger than usual is a sign of intellectual disability!)
So what actually defines intelligence?
The main factor behind it is the cerebral cortex.
The cerebral cortex, along with a few other regions, contains the gray matter. The gray matter is responsible for muscle control, memory, speech, emotions, decision making, self-control, seeing, and hearing. This gray matter is distributed across the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, and other regions within the brain.
The cerebral cortex’s gray matter is responsible for processing information and language.
So, if you have a larger cerebral cortex, you are better at processing information and language.
The cerebral cortex’s size is defined by its surface area. The cortex has regions called “gyri” and “sulci”, which means “hill” and “valley” respectively. The more gyri and sulci you have, the greater the surface area of your cerebral cortex.
A greater surface area means more neurons can be packed into the cerebral cortex. If one has more sulci and gyri than the average person, they are intelligent!
Citations:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kwong_Ming_Tse2/publication/273695033/figure/fig7/AS:294841767481348@1447307163228/Coronal-cross-section-of-human-brain-showing-the-white-and-gray-matters.png
https://bodytomy.com/cerebral-cortex-function
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_matter#Function
https://www.thoughtco.com/gyri-and-sulci-of-the-brain-4093453
https://www.villages-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Brain.png
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