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The Awesomely Evolved Human Brain

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The Awesomely Evolved Human Brain ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY HEADS UP REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY The Awesomely Evolved Human Brain THE BRAIN’S REWARD SYSTEM WHEN TOO MUCH OF A Dopamine Overload Your brain has evolved to make you feel W GOOD THING CAN BE BAD Ever feel like you just good when you do things that help you A The brain’s reward system can go haywire. This is can’t stop? Maybe it’s survive. The pleasure you feel is caused by especially true in today’s world, where many of the eating potato chips, or the chemical dopamine, which is released R foods we eat are highly processed, and technology maybe it’s playing a in your brain’s reward system. When N invades almost every aspect of our lives, overloading video game over you enjoy certain activities, dopamine is us with information. Because evolution takes millions and over—it can be released, and you are more likely to repeat I of years, our brains have not yet caught up with the different things for those activities. This brain system has N demands of today. This overload can throw us out of different people. These 1,000% evolved to help you learn and grow, and to balance and lead to compulsivity—or the inability to experiences overstimulate DOPAMINE G RELEASE 1 become healthy, happy, and successful. stop a behavior, even when it’s harmful. the brain’s natural reward Some estimates push this as far back as 164,000 years ago. years back as 164,000 push this as far Some estimates system, causing some UNHEALTHY 2 people to compulsively repeat certain behaviors, THAT LOOKS GOOD...The brain has like overeating, which can evolved to crave the fattiest meats, the cause obesity. Have you ever thought about sweetest fruits—natural, unprocessed “I JUST ATE AN ENTIRE It also happens with how many different things your foods that contain the highest energy. Why? FAMILY-SIZE BAG OF CHIPS.” drugs, which overload brain can do? This amazing Because our evolutionary survival instinct tells us the brain with dopamine. organ, which scientists are only that famine may be just around the corner. This is why for some beginning to understand, has been people, experimentation refined through millions of years can lead to addiction. of evolution. It helps you process WHAT A RUSH! You live to skateboard. information—often before you Your friends love it when you complete are aware of it. And it figures out 360 turns. No doubt you are taking some TRYING DRUGS IN ORDER 150% things fast, even when information risk, but it’s healthy! Evolution has designed us to TO FEEL A RUSH learn from new experiences so that we become DOPAMINE is incomplete. Did you know that RELEASE 1 your brain even controls what independent—and find our own place in this world. you enjoy? The brain does this to help you survive and to keep your body’s internal environment CRUSH ALERT When you first met, you stable and balanced, a state couldn’t stop flirting with each other. Why? CHECKING YOUR PHONE FOR known as homeostasis. The brain is Members of every species are designed to awesomely complex and crucial to find a partner, and humans are no different. TEXTS 100 TIMES AN HOUR HEALTHY DRUGS who we are and how we live. EATING BRAIN EVOLUTION THE EARLY BRAIN RAPID BRAIN GROWTH THE BRAIN IN THE MODERN AGE TIMELINE Focus on Survival— MILLIONS OF YEARS Rise in Innovation— THOUSANDS OF YEARS Dramatic Technological Advances— HUNDREDS OF YEARS INVENTIONS PROCESSED COMMUNICATION FOODS WALKING FIRST CONTROLLING CREATION OF CREATION OF SCIENCE/ BEGINNING MASS UPRIGHT TOOLS FIRE SYMBOLS2 ALPHABET3 MEDICINE TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTION OF TIME 6,000,000 2,600,000 800,000 40,000 3,000 MILESTONES Years Ago Years Ago Years Ago Years Ago Years Ago 500 Years Ago to TODAY Icon includes two letterforms from the ancient Phoenician alphabet. from letterforms includes two Icon Compared to the baseline dopamine level of 100%, the amount of dopamine present in the absence of a reward stimulus. stimulus. of a reward in the absence of 100%, the amount dopamine present the baseline dopamine level to Compared 1 3 For additional facts about the brain and drugs, visit and . From Scholastic and the scientists of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services More Info: scholastic.com/headsup teens.drugabuse.gov.
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