# Brain growth



## Potty (Mar 18, 2012)

Just a quickie, can't get a straight answer from google.

At what age does the human brain stop growing in size? Need to know when technology can be implanted without the brain outgrowing it.


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## Bloggsworth (Mar 18, 2012)

18 for women, 21 for men...


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## Potty (Mar 18, 2012)

Thanks muchly, can I trouble you for your source please?


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## Bloggsworth (Mar 19, 2012)

Potty said:


> Thanks muchly, can I trouble you for your source please?


++

When I was growing up everything I was told about growing girls and boys stopped at 18 & 21 respectfully - Height, hat size, maturity (Though I have my doubts on that one, I still haven't grown up).


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## Outiboros (Mar 19, 2012)

Bloggsworth said:


> ++
> 
> When I was growing up everything I was told about growing girls and boys stopped at 18 & 21 respectfully - Height, hat size, maturity (Though I have my doubts on that one, I still haven't grown up).


Nonono, development and growth in size is not at all the same in neurobiology. At puberty, the brain actually begins to sever neuron connections instead of making more, causing the brain to become more efficient. 

I wouldn't have a clue when it stops growing, but I think that you could safely implant something at about 17.

I found this http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/5/726.full.pdf


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## Bloggsworth (Mar 19, 2012)

Outiboros said:


> Nonono, development and growth in size is not at all the same in neurobiology. At puberty, the brain actually begins to sever neuron connections instead of making more, causing the brain to become more efficient.
> 
> I wouldn't have a clue when it stops growing, but I think that you could safely implant something at about 17.
> 
> I found this http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/5/726.full.pdf




As long as they all turn out like _7 of 9_ and come round to my house, I don't care!


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## Potty (Mar 19, 2012)

Bloggsworth said:


> As long as they all turn out like _7 of 9_ and come round to my house, I don't care!




"Resistance is futile!"
"Yea yea I know, hurry up!!"


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## Outiboros (Mar 19, 2012)

What kind of implant is it? Just curious.


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## Potty (Mar 19, 2012)

Just implants, chips, few special types of wiring, microscopic memory boards etc.


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## Cefor (Mar 19, 2012)

Potty, I reckon that if you say to readers, "Bob has a neural implant, it does _x_, _y_ and _z _for him." They'll believe you and won't necessarily care how old he was when he got them


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## Potty (Mar 19, 2012)

I ask as the story starts just after he is given the implant so I need to know (Logically) how old my character should be. I can't write stories unless they add up, even if I have no intention of explaining it to the reader, I need to know myself how something works.


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## Cefor (Mar 19, 2012)

Potty said:


> I ask as the story starts just after he is given the implant so I need to know (Logically) how old my character should be. I can't write stories unless they add up, even if I have no intention of explaining it to the reader, I need to know myself how something works.



Ah, well, fair do's... if it's this close to the start of the story, it's clear you need to know. Ignore what I said, then


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## Olly Buckle (Mar 19, 2012)

There is a lot of info in that link from Outiboros, but in results I found this


> Neither the volume of the
> total brain nor that of any individual brain structure increased
> systematically with age over the relatively narrow age span
> surveyed here



And their age range is 7-11, strange when they say that the brain is 93 to 95% of its adult weight age seven, I wonder when the last bit adds. It is certainly the case that kids heads grow before their bodies. At 95% (that was boys) I reckon you would be safe, if the procedure is safe.


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## WolfieReveles (Mar 21, 2012)

I'd say any implant fit for an adult would be safe from late teens and on, but perhaps you can invent some other factor and simply decide how old you want him to be. You may drive when you are 18 (may vary depending on your country) but that doesn't mean that a 14-year-old can't reach the pedals. You may drink and smoke at 18, but that doesn't stop it from being harmful. Perhaps you want the character to be 17, so make up a scenario where the chips are mandatory/allowed from that age on, and give it some ethical or political background.


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