ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

John Eccles (neurophysiologist)

John Eccles was a very smart man who studied the brain and how it helps us move, feel, and think. Imagine your brain as a big, complicated computer that helps you do everything you do. John Eccles studied how this computer works and found out some really cool stuff!

One thing that John Eccles discovered is that our brain sends little messages, called "signals," to different parts of our body to tell them what to do. For example, when you want to wiggle your toes, your brain sends a signal to your toes that tells them to wiggle. This is kind of like when your mom or dad tells you to do something, and you listen and do it!

But John Eccles found something even cooler. He found out that not only does our brain send signals to our body, but our body also sends signals back to our brain! This is important because it helps our brain know what's going on in our body.

For example, when you touch a hot stove, your hand sends a signal to your brain that says, "Ouch, that's hot!" Your brain gets the message and quickly sends a signal back to your hand that says, "Move your hand away from the stove, silly!" This way, your brain helps you stay safe and avoid getting hurt.

So, long story short, John Eccles was a really smart man who helped us understand how our brain and body work together to help us do everything we do. He discovered that our brain sends signals to tell our body what to do, but our body also sends signals back to our brain to help it know what's going on. Cool, right?