The Future of Learning: What Do We Know About the Brain Today?

Homeownership is the largest source of wealth for most American families, and obtaining a safe, traditional 15-to-30-year mortgage is a key step toward achieving financial security. But outdated housing policies and financial regulations have made small mortgages—those for homes priced under $150,000—expensive for lenders and unavailable for millions of qualified and creditworthy borrowers, especially Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous households and those in rural communities. With limited access to small mortgages, many of these families turn to alternative financing arrangements, which often involve financial risks and lack many of the protections traditional mortgages offer.

Stat: 86 billion. The human brain has at least 86 billion neurons.

Story: Breakthroughs in neuroscience and technology have given us a peek into the human mind, yet we have much to discover about how our brains actually learn new things. In the first part of our new series, you’ll travel with guest host Ray Suarez to the Brainwave Learning Center, a partnership with Stanford University, where scientists are measuring students’ brain waves to see what happens as they learn to read and gain other skills.

Related resources:

Stanford Educational Neuroscience Initiative