A team of Columbia University neuroengineers has uncovered what has to happen in your brain in order for you to have that remarkable ability to pick out one voice from among many. The discovery shows how the auditory cortex, the brain's listening center, can decode and amplify one voice over others — at lightning-fast speeds, according to Medical Xpress.

The human brain is selective about the sounds it hears. When you listen to someone talking, your brain waves change to focus on the speaker's voice and tune out all other voices.

The brain is an amazing organ that scientists continue to research and make new discoveries. For instance, your memory holds a record of your entire life and shapes your identity, but the ability to form memories does not occur until the age of about 5, or 3 for some people. Prior to that, lack of self-recognition prevents autobiographical memory formation.

Researchers believe that you use memories to piece together an imagined picture of the future because the same brain areas are activated when you are remembering and when you are using your imagination. That’s why, as your memories dwindle, it can easily feel as if you're losing the very essence of who you are.

The brain is affected by nearly everything you are or you do. For instance, obesity is known to shrink certain regions of the brain.

Among men, higher total body fat percentage was linked to lower brain gray matter volume; a 5.5% greater total body fat percentage was associated with 3,162 mm lower gray matter volume.

In women, 6.6% greater total body fat percentage was associated with 11.2 mm smaller volume in a section of the brain that plays a role in motivation, cognition and action.

Obesity is associated with inflammation, and inflammation may increase your risk of dementia or loss of memory.

Insulin resistance — common in obesity — is also thought to be involved in both cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

Another brain study showed that women's brains are about three years younger, metabolically speaking, than men’s brains of the same chronological age. This may be why women tend to maintain their mental acuity longer than men.

How your brain uses sugar changes with age. Women’s brains appear to convert more glucose — a main fuel for the brain — to energy than men’s do during adulthood.

In addition, diet and other lifestyle strategies, including stress management, can have a significant impact on your brain’s rate of aging.

Ketones — water-soluble fats produced by your liver during the conversion of fats into energy — are high octane fuel for your brain, which is why a ketogenic diet is so beneficial for your brain function.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, including a nutritional diet and exercise, is a winning combination that can help reverse your brain’s age by up to nine years in just six months.