Popular culture believes that many people believe that we only use 10% of our brain power, and that if we “unlock the skills” to use the remaining power, humans will reach new heights. In that other reality, either you can turn into an outstanding genius, or you possess extrasensory powers such as mind reading or mind control of objects.
However, the truth is not as glamorous as it seems in the movies: scientists have solid evidence to dismiss the “10%” myth above, and tests show that we still make the most of every day. brain power.
The evidence is overwhelming, but people still believe in the potential power of the brain. Movies like Limitless or Lucy , with protagonists unlocking the hidden powers of the brain, amuse viewers by the possible potentials of “the most complex computer in the universe” . A study conducted in 2013 showed that 65% of Americans believe that “people only use 10% of their brains” ; A 1998 survey found that one-third of psychology majors – whose focus is on the brain – also believed the ridiculous claim.
How true is the “10%” statement?
Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that specializes in understanding a person’s behavior, emotions, and cognitive abilities. For years, brain scientists have shown us specific parts of the brain that have specific responsibilities, handling specific tasks, from color recognition to problem solving.
Contrary to the myth of “10% brain power” , researchers have proven that part of the brain is also involved in running a person’s activities during the day. Science has yet to find any part of the brain that is completely dormant, and even studies focusing on a single neuron have not shown any “hibernate” brain areas.
Numerous studies using brain scans show that when test subjects perform a given task, many parts of their brain work together to solve the problem. For example, when reading these lines, the areas of the brain responsible for seeing, reading comprehension and the motor ability to hold a phone were more active than others.
Any part of the brain is involved in running a person’s activities during the day.
However, due to misinterpretation, many people unwittingly assume that brain CT scans support the “myth of 90% sleeping brain power” . For example, you participate in a brain magnetic resonance imaging test of a subject watching a movie. When looking at the picture, you will see that the area of image reception and processing, the sound will be more active than other places, and also on the photo, these areas will have a different color than the remaining gray areas. .
These patches of color usually don’t make up 10% of the brain, but an amateur eye looking at a magnetic resonance imaging scan might assume that the rest of the brain is dormant for another area to function. As Joe LeDoux, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at New York University, “ the brain can stay awake at 100% when performing a task, but only a small fraction is directly involved. to the new active task ”. The colors in the tomography indicate differences in the activity levels of each brain region.
Another proof that the claim ” use only 10%” is false lies in damaged brains. For example, the area of Broca’s brain is damaged, a person will have difficulty putting words together and speaking fluently, but they can still perceive language. Another example: a woman living in Florida “lost the ability to think, see problems, memory and emotions – the things that make up human nature” when the lack of oxygen caused half of her brain to die. her (about 85% of her brain) died.
Obviously, if we had 90% of our brain power at our disposal, a brain injury would have little effect on a person’s functioning or cognition.
Looking at the evolutionary path, we have yet another set of evidence to disprove the “10%” claim. The adult brain makes up 2% of the total body weight but uses up to 20% of the energy the body produces. By comparison, the adult brains of other vertebrates – including some fish, reptiles, birds and mammals – consume about 2-8% of the energy their bodies produce. .
By natural selection, our brains have spent millions of years perfecting themselves and leaving behind the most effective life-support functions. So it is not optimal for the brain to use up to 20% of the energy generated by the body and only operate at 10% of its power.
Good computers need a lot of energy to operate.
Mystery radiates a gravitational pull of its own, attracting people of a curious nature – that is, humanity at large. Since everyone has a brain, we can’t help but be intrigued by the hidden possibilities of the most powerful computer the Universe has to offer; Everyone wants to have super strength. Therefore, although evidence to disprove the “10% brain power” story exists, many people still believe in the baseless myth.
It’s unclear where or when the rumor originated, but it’s clear that books, movies, and other media have popularized the idea of the brain’s latent potential. It’s true that we don’t understand the brain (or perception, the self, and other abstractions), but our belief in 90% of the power that lies within the brain is grounded in stale brain research, The book on how to live is not backed by science.
Books that guide you to live up to your “potential” will often advise you to use your brain to its full potential. Many people hypothesize that the impact of journalist Lowell Thomas has “contributed” to the spread of the above idea: when evaluating Dale Carnegie’s famous book Winning Human Hearts, Mr. Thomas misunderstood the psychologist’s intention. According to William James, the average person ” only develops 10% of his latent psychological power “. In early research, William James suggested that a person has more potential for growth the more brain matter they use.
Besides frustrating many neuroscientists and brain experts, this concept also makes many people believe in the impossible. Many researchers are optimistic that there will be individuals who watch movies who will recognize claims in sci-fi movies as false, and then have a better view of reality.
At least the movies around this theme, such as Limitless or Lucy, are still entertaining, it’s okay to watch to kill time. Unlike the brain-twisting movies we know, you won’t need 100% of your brain power to watch those action blockbusters.