On this day, learn all about the learning brain: ‘Your brain isn’t a memory stick that can fill up’
Learning & the brain image: Artem Varnitsin/Canva
Learning your first words, practising a hill start during driving lessons or trying out that new TikTok recipe: we keep learning throughout our lives. But how does learning actually work? And how can you learn effectively? At the LIBC Public Day, you can find out in eleven mini-lectures.
It is quite remarkable, says neuropsychologist Judith Schomaker, that we spend our entire lives learning new things, yet nobody teaches us how to do it as effectively as possible. ‘It isn’t a subject at school, even though knowing how to learn more effectively and quickly can benefit you throughout your life.’ That is why the latest edition of the LIBC Public Day, following previous well-attended afternoons on psychedelics and stress, will focus on the learning brain.
The learning brain: plastic fantastic!
At the LIBC Public Day on Friday 6 November 2026 at the Stadsgehoorzaal, eleven scientists from fields including psychology and neuroscience will give short lectures on all aspects of the learning brain. You will learn how brain cells continue to adapt throughout life, how babies’ curiosity enables them to learn at remarkable speed, and why some people are able to continue growing after difficult experiences. During the breaks, you can visit demonstrations and take part in educational games, and there will be time for questions at the end of the lectures. View the programme here (in Dutch) and buy your ticket here.
Never too old to learn?
‘An important myth about learning,’ says Claartje Levelt, Professor of Language Acquisition , ‘is that some people are unable to learn. Even people who do not perform well at school have still acquired knowledge in all sorts of other areas. So we need to distinguish between different types of “learning”.’ And yes, learning certain things, such as a language, may become more difficult as you get older, but that also serves a useful purpose. Levelt explains: ‘It means that things you have already learnt are not so easily overwritten by new information.’
No memory stick
What is more, not everything is easier to learn when you are young, Schomaker adds. ‘Grammar is harder to learn as you get older, but adults can actually find it easier to add new words to their vocabulary. You can continue learning new things throughout your life. The brain is not a memory stick that can become full; even at 95, you can still learn a new name, recognise a new face or practise a new piece of music.’
How birds learn songs
Everyone may be capable of learning, but learning works differently for different people, stresses Sita ter Haar, a researcher in Education and Child Studies who specialises in behavioural and brain development. ‘Some people learn better through examples, while others prefer to learn through rules. There is no single best method.’ For example: ‘Some birds learn a song as a whole, although rather roughly at first, while other birds learn more step by step and fine-tune each stage first. Crows learn more through rules, whereas macaques are more likely to learn a sequence.’
Learning successfully
There are, however, some tips that work well for many people. One is to link new knowledge to information you already know. ‘If you are learning something that feels too abstract and falls outside your general knowledge, it is difficult to remember,’ says Judith Schomaker. ‘So try to draw parallels with something you already understand.’ Comparisons and metaphors can work particularly well. Repeating information also helps, but not by mindlessly drilling vocabulary until you can barely keep going. ‘You may remember the information for a while, but no lasting change takes place in your brain,’ says Claartje Levelt. That is why it is more effective to leave gaps between learning sessions.
Staying focused
Fortunately, there will be plenty of opportunities during the Public Day to give your brain time to absorb all that knowledge. During the breaks, for instance, you can visit demonstrations and actively put what you have learnt into practice. ‘You learn quickly through experience, and it helps you remember the material,’ says Schomaker. There will also be time for questions during the lectures, allowing you to connect the new knowledge with what you already know. ‘The lectures are short as well,’ says Sita ter Haar, ‘which helps you stay focused.’
This public open day is organised by the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, a network dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of the brain and cognition. The LIBC is also committed to the commercialisation of scientific research and outreach.