The Thinking Brain

We recently shared the September 2026 edition of Longevity Lens with our Longevity Community Premium Members. We’re excited to give you a glimpse inside this month’s issue, where we explore a deceptively simple question: What is cognition, actually?

Brain Basics

The brain is composed of a vast network of nearly 100 billion neurons, or brain cells, each forming 10,000 connections with other neurons. As theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku has said:

“Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.”

It is through this extraordinary network of neuronal connections that every thought, every movement, and every breath becomes possible. The brain serves as the control center not only for your body, but for your entire being, shaping how you think, feel, remember, perceive, and interact with the world around you.

Ultimately, your entire existence is upheld by a three-pound constellation of neurons.

How the Brain Communicates

Neurons visually resemble tree roots, with thread-like branches extending from a bulbous cell body, or soma. These branches, called dendrites and axons, enable neurons to communicate through electrochemical signals. Dendrites receive chemical signals, called neurotransmitters, from neighboring neurons, which can trigger an electrical signal that travels down the axon toward the axon terminals. In response, the axon terminals release neurotransmitters across the synapse, the tiny gap separating one neuron from the next. These neurotransmitters can then bind to receptors on the neighboring neuron, allowing the signal to continue through the neural network.

This electrochemical communication between neurons forms the cellular and molecular foundation countless physiological functions, including cognition.

What is Cognition?

Cognition is the process of acquiring, storing, retrieving, transforming, and applying knowledge.  It is an umbrella term encompassing many processes, including:

• Memory

• Attention

• Reasoning

• Language

• Learning

At its core, cognition is a biological process, even though we experience it as mental activity. Highly specialized networks of interconnected neurons work together to support different cognitive processes, allowing us to learn, remember, reason, communicate, and interact with the world around us.

Unlock the full edition, along with our complete Longevity Lens archive, by joining the Longevity Community Premium Membership on our website.