Neuroscientists at Leicester University made a startling discovery during treatments on epileptics. It seems that single brain cells are firing up when recognising a familiar face or landmark. The study clearly contradicts the popular belief that a large network of cells processes images. It seems that the brain is able to streamline the process into one single cell.

During their treatment for epilepsy, the patients had received implants of tiny electrodes into their brain to monitor brainwaves. In the tests, the patients were shown hundreds of pictures of famous people and landmarks. The electrodes recorded at the same time, which cells were activated by the picture. To the surprise of the scientists it turned out that but one cell fired up with one picture. It showed furthermore that this single cell fired up only with pictures of one particular person or landmark.

One patient had a brain cell springing into action specifically when shown pictures of Jennifer Aniston, another one for Pamela Anderson, one for the Tower of Pisa, and one for Sydney Opera House. Other patients had shown the same phenomenon with Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, or Tom Cruise. It is only one of potentially thousands of cells which fires up at a certain person.

It is quite possible that we have such brain cells for family members and friends as well. It stands to reason we should have them, as the tests show that even fictional characters have their allotted cells with certain people. I myself have definitely a Kim Possible cell, of that I am sure.

In a reversed test series, scientists were able to tell which person’s picture was being shown to a patient by the single cell that was showing activity. Jennifer Aniston’s brain cell could be the first step for better understanding the working of brains in general. Scientists hope that they will thereby gather data to further research into prosthetic limbs. It might also show new ways for treating epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and other brain conditions.

The question if celebrities are so foolish because everybody else has their brain cells was not answered by these tests. But as TomKat have been sharing a single cell between the two of them for years, this is a field wide open for further research. To my knowledge, Jennifer Aniston’s lawyers have not been asking for the return of her cell, either.