How Evolutionary History Impacts Knowledge Retention
Tags: learning, neuroscience, tech, programming
Published: 2023-05-16 11:01:37

---
title: How Evolutionary History Impacts Knowledge Retention
published: true
date: 2023-04-13 22:01:37 UTC
tags: learning,neuroscience,tech,programming
canonical_url: https://fagnerbrack.com/how-evolutionary-history-impacts-knowledge-retention-946335a7d8b8
---

Learning is an essential part of our lives and a continuous process that never stops. It’s always evolving, from learning to walk, talk, and read to more complex skills such as driving, programming, or playing an instrument. This blog post will discuss learning fundamentals and why traditional classroom methods may not be the best way to learn.

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*OVD6Kys6yMfpOgDaC957NA.jpeg)

Our brains have evolved over millions of years to adapt and survive. Therefore, anything that helps us survive also contributes to our learning ability. For instance, consider learning a language. People who immerse themselves in a foreign language while living in the country where it is spoken learn the language much faster than those who take a course in a classroom. Why is this the case? It’s because when we are in a foreign country, our brain perceives the need to learn the language as a matter of survival. This need for survival helps us learn faster. Of course, that doesn't work if you spend most of your time with a community in a foreign country that only speaks your mother tongue.

Have you ever felt that sense of accomplishment when you complete a task? That feeling of pride and joy that comes with a job well done? That feeling results from a chemical called dopamine released in your brain when you achieve something significant. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in our brain’s reward and pleasure centres. This chemical helps us remember things better, learn faster and retain information longer. Therefore, our brains are more receptive to learning when we feel accomplished.

Although our brains are wired to learn certain ways, traditional classroom methods often fail to consider these fundamentals. In a classroom setting, students are often passive listeners while the teacher lectures. The environment is not conducive to learning, as there is no sense of accomplishment or need for physical survival. As a result, students may not retain as much information as they would in a more immersive, interactive environment.

In conclusion, the forgotten fundamentals of learning are based on our evolutionary history. Our brains are wired to learn in certain ways, and anything that helps us survive or feel accomplished contributes to our ability to learn. Traditional classroom methods may not be the best way to learn, as they often fail to consider these fundamentals. To truly excel in learning, we must immerse ourselves in the subject matter, create a sense of accomplishment, and generate an environment that triggers our survival instincts.

By doing so, we can learn faster and retain information longer.

Thanks for reading. If you have feedback, contact me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/FagnerBrack), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fagnerbrack/) or [Github](http://github.com/FagnerMartinsBrack).