Neuroscience says you can alter your brain structure to improve cognition. Here’s how—it’s already a popular hobby

Neuroscientists have found birding is actually a brain hack. A new study published in JNeurosci, the Journal of Neuroscience found birdwatching may actually alter the structure and function of your brain—what is known as neuroplasticity—effectively helping to boost cognitive abilities, especially in more seasoned bird watchers.

“Our brains are very malleable,” lead researcher Erik Wing, a research associate at York University in Toronto, explained.

Wait, what exactly is neuroplasticity?