Research Example: 8/18 100 Facts You Never Knew About the Human Brain

Source:
100 Facts You Never Knew About the Human Brain
http://www.nursingassistantcentral.com/blog/2008/100-fascinating-facts-you-never-knew-about-the-human-brain/

My Topic:
The human brain is capable of controlling body functions that we normally think we cannot control (Our heart beat, for example).

What I hope to learn from this source:
I want to find either facts that might help me develop my topic, or new sources that will help refine my topic or give supporting examples of this phenomenon.

Notes:

1. Largest brain. While an elephant’s brain is physically larger than a human brain, the human brain is 2% of total body weight (compared to 0.15% of an elephant’s brain), meaning humans have the largest brain to body size.
2. 10%. The old adage of humans only using 10% of their brain is not true. Every part of the brain has a known function.
3. Uh oh. Part of my topic was based on this myth. I thought if there was so much unused brain power then certainly it could do more.
4. Each time we blink, our brain kicks in and keeps things illuminated so the whole world doesn’t go dark each time we blink (about 20,000 times a day). 
5. Daniel Tammet. Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant who, since the age of three when he suffered an epileptic seizure, has been able to perform astounding mathematical computations, knows seven languages, and is developing a language of his own.
6. 3 and 4 are good example of brain "magic".

Final Thoughts:

This source is interesting but more of a brainstorming source than of practical value. I think next I need to examine individuals who display special brain functions. Maybe monks who claim to control their body temperature? Also, I wonder if my topic will be too hard to defend? Maybe I need to change it.