~ the smell of exhaust constricts your lungs as you step from your car and into the night, illuminated only by the dingy light of your gas pump. the lights in the convenience store blink periodically, humming, droning; a spiderweb of cracks stretches across the linoleum. the attendant looks weary beyond his years. his blank, sunken eyes stare through you, past you.
~ you’ve woken up at 4 in the morning consistently for the past few days, and you do not know why. the room is dark save for the dim blue glow that the morning hangs around your window. your eyes sweep over each and every shadow as you lay perfectly still, almost paralyzed. the AC suddenly clicks off, and utter silence descends upon the house. it’s almost disquieting.
~ the mist rises above the pond as dusk falls over suburbia. you sit in the damp grass next to your bicycle, which lays on its side, and gaze out over the still water. the trees, black in the encroaching night, rustle and shudder in the breeze. something stirs in the water, sending ripples in every direction. you decide it’s best to leave.
~ the wind ruffles your hair and rocks the porch swing where you sit, observing the rain as it cascades in thin, glimmering sheets. silent lightning flashes across the sky before muffled thunder rumbles. the smell of metal and earth washes over you as you watch the stormwater surge from the edges of the roof. you shiver in the cold, damp evening air.
hullo, can you share some of your favorite facts about brains? im just a sad psych minor today who also loves brains (if not pls don’t feel obligated or anything!!!!! also I love ur blog xoxo)
OH MAN I HAVE SO MANY FAVORITE FACTS, I HARDLY KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN.
I read an article recently that investigated changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of cosmonauts’ brains post-spaceflight of long duration missions. The ventricles appeared to have been enlarged from baseline (pre-spaceflight), indicating higher volumes in CSF. This “fluid shift” appears to be connected to visual acuity issues, and may be associated with conditions like Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Separate from what is discussed in this article – I wonder if this means that astronauts and cosmonauts who have participated in long-duration spaceflight missions may be more susceptible to developing conditions like hydrocephalus or even Alzheimer’s later in life, due to the enlarged ventricles and excess CSF in the brain.
