Can your brain light up an LED lamp?

No, that’s not possible. But electrical signals are important to the way your brain works. Your brain is very important. Everything that has to do with thinking, remembering, moving and feeling is controlled by your brain.

Electrical signals
Your brain is made up mostly of nerve cells. These nerve cells communicate with each other by passing on electrical signals. Just try moving your big toe for a moment. When you do that, your brain is sending a small electric current all the way to that toe. The muscles in the toe know what this means, and they respond by moving the toe. Small electric currents also travel the other way, from the various parts of your body to your brain. If you burn your finger, your fingertip sends a signal to your brain, making you go, ‘Ouch!’ Light falling on the retinas in your eyes also sends electrical signals to your brain.

LED lamp?
So all of these signals travelling to and from your brain are actually small electric currents. And those small electric currents can be measured! Scientists use this to investigate the brain. They have discovered that your brain generates enough electricity to light up an LED lamp, although they haven’t worked out how to do this yet.