Your brain is the world’s most proficient accountant. Here’s how.
Right now, as you read this, your brain is interpreting waves of light, chemicals in the air, and the squiggles on this page, turning them into sights and smells and words. But all of this is in service of your brain’s most vital function: keeping you alive. “Your brain is constantly running a budget for your body,” says Lisa Feldman Barrett, university distinguished professor of psychology.