# What's your favorite region of the brain? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356 "2012-01-31T23:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/1 "2012-01-31T23:36:37Z")
Mine is the medulla oblongata, just because it’s fun to say. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/2 "2012-01-31T23:53:50Z")
Occipital lobe, because it is most useful for the stuff I do. Joke answer: putamen, because it sounds like something rude in some Romance language. Answer chosen for euphony: Fornix. It sounds like a Roman centurion’s name. Marcus Fornix Carnifex! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/3 "2012-01-31T23:59:46Z")
Amygdala. It sounds beautiful. It looks beautiful. And messing with it will cause River Tam to kick your ass. But the Circle of Willis is pretty cool, too. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/4 "2012-02-01T00:02:37Z")
The corpus callosum. It keeps things in their proper hemisphere, but allows them to communicate. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/5 "2012-02-01T00:06:25Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > But the Circle of Willis is pretty cool, too. What ever are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/6 "2012-02-01T00:38:18Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > What ever are you talking about? Serious? (Oh, I’ll just pretend you are, 'cause then I have an excuse to link to pretty pictures.) [The Circle of Willis is a group of blood vessels in your brain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_Willis). [It’s really cool looking](http://www.info-radiologie.ch/polygone-willis/fullsize/polygone-willis-face.0003_fs.jpg). [I mean, really cool](http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/303711/large/P2060288-Circle_of_Willis_blood_vessels-SPL.jpg)! [You have a star in your head, dude](http://www.medison.ru/uzi/img/p307.jpg)! [Like…woah…](http://www.minnisjournals.com.au/images/Minnis/10-5340_rad53-2-A4-f2.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/7 "2012-02-01T00:53:46Z")
I think amygdala is one of the coolest English words. It’s definitely the nicest-_sounding_ piece of brain anatomy. But my favorite is [dendrites](http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/337/dendrites.png)! They’re electric, boogiewoogiewoogie. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/8 "2012-02-01T00:57:09Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > What ever are you talking about? :smack: I just got it. Still…pretty pictures!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/9 "2012-02-01T01:13:14Z")
The **Fissure of Rolando** (now called the Central Sulcus or Sulcus of Rolando), because that’s where you have to hit the Giant Floating Brain in **The Brain from Planet Arous** to kill it. Use a baseball bat. Or an axe. > **[The Brain from Planet Arous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_from_Planet_Arous)** > > The Brain from Planet Arous is a 1957 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Jacques R. Marquette, directed by Nathan H. Juran, that stars John Agar, Joyce Meadows, and Robert Fuller. Distributed briefly by Howco International in late 1957, the film appeared in 1958 on a double feature with Teenage Monster. > The storyline features themes of alien possession and world domination by an alien named Gor. Another alien, Vol, has been sent to Earth to capture the ... [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;\_ylt=A0PDoTAbkShPeHoAm8WJzbkF;\_ylu=X3oDMTA3cnMybzJvBHNsawNpbWc-?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F\_adv\_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DThe%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D4&w=720&h=480&imgurl=pulpsanctum.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F03%2Fbrain-from-planet-arous-gor.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpulpsanctum.com%2Fbrainfromplanetarous-1957%2F&size=29.9+KB&name=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous+(1957)%2C+floating+brain+tries+to+conquer+...&p=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous&oid=7140d7b4726a05934e010f83436e1a3f&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=The%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%2B%25281957%2529%252C%2Bfloating%2Bbrain%2Btries%2Bto%2Bconquer%2B...&b=0&ni=21&no=4&tab=organic&ts=&sigr=11h51c5eo&sigb=13pni6kb7&sigi=12ajmlkoj&.crumb=JGFEmpoNdqQ](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoTAbkShPeHoAm8WJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3cnMybzJvBHNsawNpbWc-?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DThe%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D4&w=720&h=480&imgurl=pulpsanctum.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F03%2Fbrain-from-planet-arous-gor.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpulpsanctum.com%2Fbrainfromplanetarous-1957%2F&size=29.9+KB&name=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous+%281957%29%2C+floating+brain+tries+to+conquer+...&p=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous&oid=7140d7b4726a05934e010f83436e1a3f&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=The%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%2B%25281957%2529%252C%2Bfloating%2Bbrain%2Btries%2Bto%2Bconquer%2B...&b=0&ni=21&no=4&tab=organic&ts=&sigr=11h51c5eo&sigb=13pni6kb7&sigi=12ajmlkoj&.crumb=JGFEmpoNdqQ) [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;\_ylt=A0PDoTAbkShPeHoAs8WJzbkF;\_ylu=X3oDMTA3cnMybzJvBHNsawNpbWc-?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F\_adv\_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DThe%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D28&w=512&h=384&imgurl=lh3.ggpht.com%2F\_hVOW2U7K4-M%2FSdQyYS\_5C4I%2FAAAAAAAA9tM%2FDSBeSbHQYF4%2F004sb40s.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2F123nonstop.com%2Fpictures%2FThe\_Brain\_from\_Planet\_Arous&size=37.3+KB&name=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous+Download+Movie+Pictures+Photos+Images&p=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous&oid=d276cc25d3de6580bd9819c98ec53c9f&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=The%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%2BDownload%2BMovie%2BPictures%2BPhotos%2BImages&b=0&ni=21&no=28&tab=organic&ts=&sigr=11qo29c3r&sigb=13qnng3f5&sigi=12bc6muse&.crumb=JGFEmpoNdqQ](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoTAbkShPeHoAs8WJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3cnMybzJvBHNsawNpbWc-?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DThe%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D28&w=512&h=384&imgurl=lh3.ggpht.com%2F_hVOW2U7K4-M%2FSdQyYS_5C4I%2FAAAAAAAA9tM%2FDSBeSbHQYF4%2F004sb40s.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2F123nonstop.com%2Fpictures%2FThe_Brain_from_Planet_Arous&size=37.3+KB&name=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous+Download+Movie+Pictures+Photos+Images&p=The+Brain+from+Planet+Arous&oid=d276cc25d3de6580bd9819c98ec53c9f&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=The%2BBrain%2Bfrom%2BPlanet%2BArous%2BDownload%2BMovie%2BPictures%2BPhotos%2BImages&b=0&ni=21&no=28&tab=organic&ts=&sigr=11qo29c3r&sigb=13qnng3f5&sigi=12bc6muse&.crumb=JGFEmpoNdqQ) [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando&w=160&h=106&imgurl=www.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando%23focal%3Df4d03abe334619e3238b4ad3359465c9%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.astraldynamics.com%252fhome%252fimages%252fstories%252fobe%252farticles\_42\_3.jpg&size=&name=search&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando%23focal%3Df4d03abe334619e3238b4ad3359465c9%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.astraldynamics.com%252fhome%252fimages%252fstories%252fobe%252farticles\_42\_3.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando%23focal%3Df4d03abe334619e3238b4ad3359465c9%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.astraldynamics.com%252fhome%252fimages%252fstories%252fobe%252farticles\_42\_3.jpg&p=Fissur+of+Rolando&type=&no=3&tt=114&oid=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fimages%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D1596319803282%26id%3D913a4cb6c0a76518c25dca438203a32c&tit=Brain+Anatomy+and+the+Theory+of+Consciousness&sigr=15p80je8f&sigi=15icnrurd&sigb=11re7evsq&fr=yfp-t-701](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando&w=160&h=106&imgurl=www.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando%23focal%3Df4d03abe334619e3238b4ad3359465c9%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.astraldynamics.com%252fhome%252fimages%252fstories%252fobe%252farticles_42_3.jpg&size=&name=search&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando%23focal%3Df4d03abe334619e3238b4ad3359465c9%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.astraldynamics.com%252fhome%252fimages%252fstories%252fobe%252farticles_42_3.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DFissur%2Bof%2BRolando%23focal%3Df4d03abe334619e3238b4ad3359465c9%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.astraldynamics.com%252fhome%252fimages%252fstories%252fobe%252farticles_42_3.jpg&p=Fissur+of+Rolando&type=&no=3&tt=114&oid=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fimages%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D1596319803282%26id%3D913a4cb6c0a76518c25dca438203a32c&tit=Brain+Anatomy+and+the+Theory+of+Consciousness&sigr=15p80je8f&sigi=15icnrurd&sigb=11re7evsq&fr=yfp-t-701) ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/10 "2012-02-01T01:22:23Z")
The pituitary gland because its sexy. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/11 "2012-02-01T01:41:54Z")
Temporal lobe: hippocampus in the house! ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/12 "2012-02-01T02:14:42Z")
Optic chiasm! Too cool for school. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/13 "2012-02-01T06:43:26Z")
I have to say I’m a bit surprised - no love for the [prefrontal cortex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefrontal_cortex)? That’s my second favorite region, since it handles executive functions, including the planning and executing of complex tasks (among other things). ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/14 "2012-02-01T12:20:18Z")
Basal ganglion. But I love it in a “love to hate it” kind of way. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/15 "2012-02-01T12:23:07Z")
I’m kind of fond of the pineal. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Room](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_room/32/5069_2.png) [@Little\_Room](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Room)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/16 "2012-02-01T12:50:38Z")
I like the brain stem, because it keeps my heart and such going, and without that the rest of the brain wouldn’t be much use. Circle of Willis is cool just because it sounds like a name of a place in some mythical world. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/17 "2012-02-01T12:51:33Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Basal ganglion. But I love it in a “love to hate it” kind of way. Monstro took my answer (files Monstro under “competitor” in reptilian brain). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/18 "2012-02-01T14:08:47Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I’m kind of fond of the pineal. As your attorney I advise you avoid the pineal. I’ll try just about anything; but I’d never in hell touch a pineal gland. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/19 "2012-02-01T14:44:00Z")
Cerebral cortex. Just say it over and over. You get a nice sibilant moment, then a stop, and get to seal it off with an x…how cool is that? Plus, it sounds like something that enables you to levitate objects with your mind. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356/20 "2012-02-01T17:01:46Z")
Probably the [nucleus accumbens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleus_accumbens). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-region-of-the-brain/611356.md?page=2)