How Your Brain Works

An illustrated science story from Wonder Science — free to read, with narration.

How Your Brain Works — an illustrated science story, set in England. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Science.

How Your Brain Works — book cover — Wonder Science
How Your Brain Works — an illustrated science story, set in England. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Science.

Page 1

Ezra sat with her family at their favorite seafood restaurant near Fisherman's Wharf, the aroma of salt and fish filling the air.
Ezra sat with her family at their favorite seafood restaurant near Fisherman's Wharf, the aroma of salt and fish filling the air. "Mom, Dad, how does my brain know to keep my heart beating even when I'm not thinking about it?" she asked, twirling spaghetti around her fork. Her mom chuckled, "That's a great question, Ezra!" Her father smiled, ready to begin a lesson.

Ezra sat with her family at their favorite seafood restaurant near Fisherman's Wharf, the aroma of salt and fish filling the air. "Mom, Dad, how does my brain know to keep my heart beating even when I'm not thinking about it?" she asked, twirling spaghetti around her fork. Her mom chuckled, "That's a great question, Ezra!" Her father smiled, ready to begin a lesson.

Page 2

"It's like there's a tiny conductor running an orchestra in your head, right?" Ezra's friend Atlas chimed in the next day as they walked down Lombard Street…
"It's like there's a tiny conductor running an orchestra in your head, right?" Ezra's friend Atlas chimed in the next day as they walked down Lombard Street, the famously winding road. Atlas, with his thick wavy dark brown hair swept to one side, adjusted his backpack. "It has to do with different parts of your brain handling different tasks, Ezra," her father began, "Some are automatic, like breathing, and some you control, like moving your arm." This is called Neuroscience…

"It's like there's a tiny conductor running an orchestra in your head, right?" Ezra's friend Atlas chimed in the next day as they walked down Lombard Street, the famously winding road. Atlas, with his thick wavy dark brown hair swept to one side, adjusted his backpack. "It has to do with different parts of your brain handling different tasks, Ezra," her father began, "Some are automatic, like breathing, and some you control, like moving your arm." This is called Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system.

Page 3

England, in the late 1600s. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across a cluttered study. Books lined the walls, and strange contraptions sat on every…
England, in the late 1600s. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across a cluttered study. Books lined the walls, and strange contraptions sat on every surface. A lone figure sat hunched over a desk, quill in hand, deep in thought. The air was thick with the smell of ink and old paper.

England, in the late 1600s. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across a cluttered study. Books lined the walls, and strange contraptions sat on every surface. A lone figure sat hunched over a desk, quill in hand, deep in thought. The air was thick with the smell of ink and old paper.

Page 4

This was Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton, with his long powdered wig and serious gaze, was a man driven by curiosity.
This was Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton, with his long powdered wig and serious gaze, was a man driven by curiosity. Born in 1643, he formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation. What many don't know is that Newton was also deeply interested in optics, spending hours experimenting with prisms and light. "I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore...

This was Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton, with his long powdered wig and serious gaze, was a man driven by curiosity. Born in 1643, he formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation. What many don't know is that Newton was also deeply interested in optics, spending hours experimenting with prisms and light. "I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore... finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

Page 5

One afternoon, Newton sat in his garden, sunlight filtering through the leaves. He was trying to understand how light breaks into different colors when passed…
One afternoon, Newton sat in his garden, sunlight filtering through the leaves. He was trying to understand how light breaks into different colors when passed through glass. Ezra observed from behind a tree, her notebook in hand, carefully writing her observations. A prism sat on a table before Newton, casting rainbows on a sheet of paper.

One afternoon, Newton sat in his garden, sunlight filtering through the leaves. He was trying to understand how light breaks into different colors when passed through glass. Ezra observed from behind a tree, her notebook in hand, carefully writing her observations. A prism sat on a table before Newton, casting rainbows on a sheet of paper.

Page 6

Newton noticed that the prism didn't create the colors, but separated them. White light was actually made up of all the colors of the rainbow!
Newton noticed that the prism didn't create the colors, but separated them. White light was actually made up of all the colors of the rainbow! He realized that the brain processes these different colors, allowing us to see the world. Each color had a different wavelength that made the brain react in a unique way. The brain uses those wavelengths to interpret what we see.

Newton noticed that the prism didn't create the colors, but separated them. White light was actually made up of all the colors of the rainbow! He realized that the brain processes these different colors, allowing us to see the world. Each color had a different wavelength that made the brain react in a unique way. The brain uses those wavelengths to interpret what we see.

Page 7

"This discovery led to improvements in telescopes and other optical instruments," Ezra's dad continued. "Now, we have microscopes that can see incredibly tiny…
"This discovery led to improvements in telescopes and other optical instruments," Ezra's dad continued. "Now, we have microscopes that can see incredibly tiny things and cameras that capture the most distant galaxies!" The mind-blowing fact is that light travels 9.461 10 12 kilometers in a year!

"This discovery led to improvements in telescopes and other optical instruments," Ezra's dad continued. "Now, we have microscopes that can see incredibly tiny things and cameras that capture the most distant galaxies!" The mind-blowing fact is that light travels 9.461 10 12 kilometers in a year!

Page 8

Back at home, Ezra explained, "So, just like Newton's prism separated light into colors, our brains separate different jobs into specific areas!" She was…
Back at home, Ezra explained, "So, just like Newton's prism separated light into colors, our brains separate different jobs into specific areas!" She was speaking to Atlas and Zola, who has straight jet-black hair cut just below her chin in a bob. "Oh, like how the visual cortex processes what we see, and the auditory cortex processes what we hear?" asked Zola.

Back at home, Ezra explained, "So, just like Newton's prism separated light into colors, our brains separate different jobs into specific areas!" She was speaking to Atlas and Zola, who has straight jet-black hair cut just below her chin in a bob. "Oh, like how the visual cortex processes what we see, and the auditory cortex processes what we hear?" asked Zola. Atlas, with his thick wavy dark brown hair swept to one side, exclaimed, "So that's why I can hear my favorite song and instantly remember the lyrics – different areas working together!".

Page 9

"Exactly!" Ezra said. "It's like when I'm doing gymnastics, my cerebellum coordinates my movements, and my frontal lobe helps me make decisions about my…
"Exactly!" Ezra said. "It's like when I'm doing gymnastics, my cerebellum coordinates my movements, and my frontal lobe helps me make decisions about my routine." Atlas, with thick wavy dark brown hair swept to one side, added, "And when I'm swimming, my medulla oblongata controls my breathing without me even thinking about it!" Zola, with her straight jet-black hair cut just below her chin in a bob, added, "It's like when you're startled, your amygdala kicks in and starts…

"Exactly!" Ezra said. "It's like when I'm doing gymnastics, my cerebellum coordinates my movements, and my frontal lobe helps me make decisions about my routine." Atlas, with thick wavy dark brown hair swept to one side, added, "And when I'm swimming, my medulla oblongata controls my breathing without me even thinking about it!" Zola, with her straight jet-black hair cut just below her chin in a bob, added, "It's like when you're startled, your amygdala kicks in and starts the fight or flight reflex."

Page 10

"So," Ezra concluded, "our brains have different areas that work together to perform automatic tasks and help us understand the world through our senses." Her…
"So," Ezra concluded, "our brains have different areas that work together to perform automatic tasks and help us understand the world through our senses." Her friend, Atlas, tilted his head. "If neuroscience explains how our brains work, what explains how our bodies move?"

"So," Ezra concluded, "our brains have different areas that work together to perform automatic tasks and help us understand the world through our senses." Her friend, Atlas, tilted his head. "If neuroscience explains how our brains work, what explains how our bodies move?"

About this story

  • Location: England
  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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