For the brain, practice makes efficiency not perfection

Once the monkey memorizes how to type Shakespeare, it can repeat the process more efficiently.

Oliver Hammond (olivander) on Flickr

The brain isn't a static piece of hardware like a computer. If it needs to do something repeatedly, it's able to remodel itself in order to cope with the cognitive demands. Past studies have indicated London cab drivers see an expansion of the area of the brain that's involved in spatial reasoning, while professional musicians see an expansion of the area of the brain that provides control over their muscle actions.

Normally, more neural hardware means a higher energetic cost as cells require a certain amount of energy purely for maintenance (even more when they are active). But a study that tracked the control of limb movements in monkeys suggests that the brain actually executes control over well practiced movements with increased efficiency, burning through fewer calories in the process.

The procedure for the tests was fairly simple: a small group of monkeys were trained to do a variety of tasks. One of them didn't involve their arms at all and acted as a control. Two tasks involved directing their arms to a variable target, and therefore the task couldn't be precisely memorized. Two others involved moving their arms in the same way every time, allowing the monkeys to practice it to the degree that it could become a routine.