Your brain is made up of more than 100 billion intercommunicating cells, and the permutations of connections between them exceed the number of particles in the universe. It is truly awesome in its capabilities. But where among all this grey matter and “brute biology” are you? In this week’s Inside Story, neuropsychologist Paul Broks gives a mind-bending account of the search for the self (page 8). Alison Wood’s reception class shared a secret about identity when she brought in a box with “something really special” inside. Read her teaching tip on page 5.