Impress and amaze your friends and colleagues with these 10 fascinating “brain facts”!

1. The average brain, which weighs about 3 pounds, has approximately 100 billion neurons.

2. There are about 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain.

3. You continue to make new neurons throughout life as long as you use your brain in mental activities.

4. The brain uses about 20% of the total oxygen of the body at rest.

5. Excessive stress can alter brain cells, structure and function.

6. You can’t tickle yourself because the brain can distinguish between unexpected touch and your own.

7. While awake, your brain generates 10–23 watts of power—or enough energy to power a light bulb.

8. Every time you blink, the brain “kicks in” to keeps things illuminated so the world doesn’t go dark during the blink (which happens about 20,000 times a day).

9. The average number of thoughts you experience each day is about 70,000.

10. The brain is 75% water.

Source: Nursing Central Assistant.