Name: How your brain tells you where you are
Uploaded: 2012-02-06T15:58:59Z
Duration: 8 min 46 s
Description: How do you remember where you parked your car? How do you know if you're moving in the right direction? Neuroscientist Neil Burgess studies the neural mechanisms that map the space around us, and how they link to memory and imagination.

Neil Burgess: How your brain tells you where you are

How your brain tells you where you are

How do you remember where you parked your car? How do you know if you're moving in the right direction? Neuroscientist Neil Burgess studies the neural mechanisms that map the space around us, and how they link to memory and imagination.

The hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped region deep in the brain, helps people remember locations like parking spots by firing distinct patterns of electrical activity. Scientists discovered that specialized neurons, called place cells and grid cells, together form an internal map, allowing humans and animals to navigate complex spaces. These same networks also help reconstruct scenes from memory, connecting spatial navigation to imagination and personal recollection.