ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lateral intraparietal cortex

The lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) is a part of the brain that helps you pay attention to things in your environment.

Imagine you're playing with your toys and your mom calls your name from another room. Your brain needs to quickly switch its focus from the toys to your mom's voice. The LIP helps with this by sending signals to other parts of the brain that control where you look and how you move your body.

The LIP also helps you make decisions based on what you see. For example, if you see a ball rolling towards you, the LIP helps you determine whether to catch it or move out of the way.

Overall, the LIP is like a traffic cop in your brain that helps you pay attention to important things and make quick decisions based on what you see.