Time and Response - Brain Function plus the Power of Community

Dr. Brandon Carney - Scholar in the Classroom Vanderbilt University said present again and brought his deep knowledge of brain function.

1. The purpose of this lab is for students to determine what their reaction time (or response time) is, and to compare their own reaction time to that of their classmates.

Please note: this is different from a reflex, which bypasses the brain (for example, your pupils dilate, you will blink when something is headed toward your eyes, and your knee will jerk when the patellar tendon is tapped without you needing to think about it). In the case of this experiment, the signal must travel through the brain, which then tells your fingers to close around the ruler.

The students will be in groups of 2 or 3.

Each student should get a chance to test his or her own reaction time.