The Human Brian

How does the pre-frontal cortex change in humans between the ages of 5 and 25?

The Pre-Frontal Cortex is the brain's remote control and it is a section of the brain that weighs outcomes/consequences, forms conclusions and controls human emotions.  It takes time for this to mature or develop fully. It also helps humans to process human interaction and social behaviour. This part of the brain takes time to fully develop and it does not usually until or around the age of 25 years, in adulthood.

How is this connected to the law, and what personal relevance does this information have to you?

Well in most countries the law states that the drinking age is 21 years of age. However in my country it is 18 years of age. Generally, I think it is because most Jamaicans like to drink and it is somewhat socially acceptable for individuals under the legal drinking age to consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol affects and influences the human mind; it tends to disrupt rational thought, and most minds are still not developed enough to deal with the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is a drug so it affects the normal functioning of the brain. I can perceive that most would think that the human brain is well enough developed by the age of 21 in order for these 'adults' to have control over their speech and actions. I disagree because no matter what age, alcohol tends to make humans forget themselves and the consequences of their actions in such a vulnerable state. Excessive amounts also damage the 'CPU' and nervous system. Like a lot of Jamaican children, I too started drinking before the age of consent but I made a conscious decision to stop at the age of 15. I went a little overboard than most. It was difficult but now I no longer. Personally speaking, I agree that the drinking age should be moved to 21 in my country. The drinking age is no longer of any relevance to me now but I agree it should be moved up nonetheless, especially after reading this article. Teenagers should not drink. I can say so from shared knowledge and personal knowledge.

If the brain, in the dark inside our skull, is our computer, what interfaces does it have with the outside world?

The brain helps us to respond to other living organisms, consciously or not. We cannot interact with the outside world without it. It helps us to communicate our feelings an or ideologies to others
and other interactions. it helps us humans to evaluate situations and think up answers to problems quickly. Like most things in our bodies, it is connected to our nervous system and hormones which influence and affect how we relate to the outside world. We cannot function without our CPU, our brain. That would be impossible.