In its short piece "What’s the Point of Maths?", the September 2021 issue of Cerveau et Psycho 135 drops a bombshell... though it will come as no surprise to Tangente readers: yes, a young adult’s brain reveals whether or not they had studied mathematics before taking the baccalauréat!
The finding was published a few months ago in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). The article is entitled The Impact of a Lack of Mathematical Education on Brain Development and Future Attainment (available online). Its authors, George Zacharopoulos, Francesco Sella and Roi Cohen Kadosh, reached their conclusions by measuring concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The amino acid GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system: it blocks nerve impulses. The balance between excitation and inhibition during youth promotes brain plasticity. GABA’s inhibitory function blocks claims that are false a priori because they lack any reasoning behind them. According to the authors, doing maths promotes GABA production.
