The world: inside your head.

Ever wondered how your brain really works? Then this high-tech, interactive exhibition at the Federal Electricity Commission's Museo Tecnologico will provide all the answers you need ... and more besides.

At the entrance to a maze-like structure, glass cases containing real brains greet the unsuspecting visitor. These range from the miniscule brain of a duck to the much larger dolphin brain, and of course a human brain to compare with these.

The human brain apparently makes up just 2 percent of our body weight, but uses 20 percent of the body's fuel.

"It is commonly believed that you only use 10 percent of your brain. This is not true! It is possible that you don't use all the neurons in your brain at the same time, but every one of them is important," one exhibit says.

Stuffed full of statistics and scientific facts, but interspersed with brightly colored exhibits, interactive games and plenty of noise, this exhibit has something for everyone, from toddlers to grandparents.

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It covers areas such as fetus brain development, how we acquire language, why we dream, how balance and hand-eye coordination are controlled from brain central, mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's or schizophrenia, and other brain disorders like migraines.

According to the exhibition, brain disorders account for 5 out of every 10 of the most common health complaints in the world. It says that in the United States: 1 million people suffer from Parkinson's disease, 20 million from depression, 19 million from some type of anxiety disorder, 4 million from strokes and a further 4 million from Alzheimer's.

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And it attempts to break down taboos by saying brain disorders should be seen in the same way as physical illness--something that can happen to anyone and that can be treated by qualified doctors.

According to one official, an exhibit called "A hole in the head" is one of the most popular. This shows a trephined skull from Peru, believed to date from between 1350 and 1500 AD, which is on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. Trephining or trepanning involves drilling or cutting a hole in the skull in order to relieve pressure on the brain tissue.

But it seems that this may not be nearly as horrific as it sounds, due to the fact that although the brain registers pain from other parts of the body, it cannot feel pain in itself.

"There are no pain sensors for the brain. Surgeons can operate on the brain while the patient is completely conscious, can talk and ask questions," according to the display.

The exhibition was put together with the collaboration of pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and in coordination with National Institutes of Health in the United States. It traveled to 15 cities in the United States before making the trip to Mexico.

BRAIN--the world inside your head

Museo Tecnologico de la CFE 

2da. Secc. Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico D.F. Tel.: [phone]

Exhibition is open Monday-Sunday, 0900-1700, until May 1.

Entry is free.