Livewired Summary

Your brain isn’t just a machine; it’s a living tapestry, constantly weaving, adapting, and transforming as you interact with the world.

The Brain Lives to Adapt

The human brain is designed to continuously reshape itself, a process David Eagleman calls "livewiring." Our brains aren’t static or fixed like a computer’s hardware. Instead, they are dynamic networks that adjust and reconfigure based on stimuli and experience. This self-rewiring ability allows the brain to recover, learn, and function even in extreme circumstances.

One of the most dramatic examples of this adaptability comes from Matthew, a young boy who had half of his brain removed due to seizures. Astonishingly, his brain adapted to the loss and allowed him to live a relatively normal life. Different parts of the brain can take over functions they weren’t initially designed for, showing how it reshapes itself depending on necessity and opportunity.

This flexibility isn’t reserved for extreme medical cases. Every experience we encounter influences the brain’s connections and functions. Especially in young people, whose brains are more "plastic," the tapestry constantly restructures, forming a unique neural "you." The brain changes to meet challenges, take in new skills, or survive adverse circumstances.

Examples

• Matthew’s recovery after having half of his brain removed.
• Musicians like Stevie Wonder developing exceptional skills due to neural adjustments compensating for blindness.
• Amateur athletes dedicating years of practice and reshaping their neural pathways for improved mastery.

Sensory Substitution and Beyond

The brain can process new and unusual inputs, even substituting one sensory modality for another. This means that when one sense is lost or diminished, the brain is capable of repurposing signals from another sense to fill that void.

Paul Bach-y-Rita’s experiment in the 1960s is an excellent example. He helped a blind man "see" objects by transmitting visual data via pressure points on the man's back. Over time, the brain adapted, converting those tactile signals into visualized forms. It was an early demonstration of how sensory information can be redirected and utilized in creative ways.

In addition, sensory "enhancements" and "additions" can be made possible by technology. A man who implanted magnets in his fingertips was able to feel magnetic fields, expanding his senses beyond nature’s standard. These advancements suggest incredible horizons for human sensory development, where sensory limits dissolve and we can gain entirely novel perceptions of the world.

Examples

• Paul Bach-y-Rita’s device converting tactile input into visual recognition.
• Cochlear implants that help the deaf "hear" by transmitting auditory information as electrical signals.
• Magnetic implants enabling individuals to sense magnetic fields as textures.

The Brain Learns Any Body Shape

Your brain isn’t just confined to its original design—it can wire itself to control an entirely new or different body. Your brain learns through a trial-and-error process, adapting to the unique challenges each body brings, whether through practice or necessity.

A dog named Faith, born with only two legs, learned to walk upright. Similarly, Matt Stutzman, born without arms, has adapted to use his feet for tasks typically requiring hands. With modern technology, even prosthetic limbs can be wired directly to the human brain, granting unprecedented freedom of movement.

This process can be understood through "motor babbling," like the way babies first experiment with sounds and movements before shaping them into speech or coordinated actions. Over time, feedback from these attempts hones skills, allowing the brain to master unfamiliar tasks—whether that's operating a prosthetic arm or piloting a robotic avatar on the other side of the planet.

Examples

• Faith the two-legged dog adjusting to walking upright.
• Prosthetic limb users developing complex and precise control through brainpower alone.
• A monkey at Duke University controlling a robotic machine on another continent.

Motivation Shapes Your Brain

Humans naturally put more neurological "effort" into skills or activities they deem important. Beyond effort, neural pathways form more easily when they are aligned with personal goals or survival needs.

Consider musicians like Itzhak Perlman, who’ve spent their lives training their brains through dedicated practice to reach exceptional levels of technical ability. Yet, desire and motivation are equally fundamental. Two people with the same resources and time may develop in entirely different ways, depending on their interests.

For example, people born blind often develop echolocation skills because their senses prioritize what’s most useful for them. Meanwhile, individuals forced into using an injured limb often surpass limitations, simply because their brains identify the necessity of adaptation.

Examples

• Blind individuals developing sharp echolocation for spatial awareness.
• Physically injured people gaining strength in weaker limbs when forced to use them.
• Violinist Itzhak Perlman’s brain reshaped by years of practiced dedication to his craft.

The Value of Ignoring the Predictable

Your brain saves energy by filtering out constant or stable information so it can focus on what matters most: the new and unexpected. This tendency streamlines your brain’s efficiency and keeps you focused on change rather than stasis.

The IBM logo illusion of the 1980s highlighted this. After people stared at hours of green text on black monitors, their brains became overly accustomed to green tones. Later, when viewing the logo, their brains projected faint red hues as a kind of sensory "overcorrection."

This filtering helps avoid mental overload in everyday life. For instance, you don’t notice the blood vessels on the surface of your eyes because they don’t change. However, this same process can lead to habits, addictions, or ingrained behaviors that go unchallenged over time.

Examples

• People imagining red within the IBM logo in the 1980s.
• Green logs on a waterfall creating the "upward moving rock" illusion afterward.
• Human ability to "block out" the sensation of wearing everyday shoes or glasses.

Aging Erodes Brain Plasticity

While the brain maintains its ability to change all through life, this adaptability lessens with age. Young brains are vibrant and flexible, while older ones become increasingly rigid, solidifying well-used neural pathways.

Consider Mila Kunis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mila moved to the U.S. as a child and developed a perfect American accent. Arnold, moving as an adult, retains a thick Austrian accent. His older brain couldn’t fully restructure.

However, age-related rigidity isn’t the end of growth possibilities. Mentally demanding activities, as practiced by Catholic nuns in the famous Nun Study, kept their brains active even into old age, delaying the effects of Alzheimer’s.

Examples

• Mila Kunis learning English seamlessly, versus Arnold Schwarzenegger’s distinct Austrian accent.
• The Nun Study revealed mental activity can offset degenerative diseases.
• A child recovering after a hemispherectomy while older individuals could not.

Early Memories Stay Forever

Memories from childhood persist more vividly than more recent ones. Early experiences sink deeply into the neural framework due to high plasticity during youth.

Synesthesia in individuals born between the 1960s and 1980s revealed a memory link to Fisher-Price alphabet magnets. These individuals unwittingly associated letters with colors from their childhood toys, proving how indelible early inputs are.

Much like Einstein, who spoke in his first language on his deathbed, these early wiring patterns endure throughout life. They illustrate how experiences in formative years shape the brain deeply.

Examples

• Synesthetes associating colors with Fisher-Price alphabet magnets.
• Einstein reverting to German in his final moments.
• Childhood favorite songs or smells often triggering lifelong emotional responses.

Takeaways

1. Embrace lifelong learning and new challenges to promote the brain's ability to rewire itself, even as you age.
2. Pay attention to motivation when taking on new skills—your brain prioritizes what it cares about most.
3. Create environments and routines early in life that support positive, lasting brain development.