A study showed that about 65 percent of Americans believe the trope, and a study showed that a full third of psychology majors, who focus on the workings of the brain, fell for it. Contrary to the 10 percent myth, scientists have proven that every part of the brain is integral for our daily functioning, thanks to brain imaging techniques like positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Research has yet to find a brain area that is completely inactive. Even studies that measure activity at the level of single neurons have not revealed any inactive areas of the brain. Many brain imaging studies that measure brain activity when a person is doing a specific task show how different parts of the brain work together. For example, while you are reading this text on your smartphone, some parts of your brain, including those responsible for vision, reading comprehension, and holding your phone, will be more active.
However, some brain images unintentionally support the 10 percent myth , because they often show small bright splotches on an otherwise gray brain. The gray spots are still active, just to a lesser degree.
A more direct counter to the 10 percent myth lies in individuals who have suffered brain damage—through a stroke, head trauma, or carbon monoxide poisoning—and what they can no longer do as a result of that damage, or can still do just as well.
Yet studies show that damaging even a very small part of the brain may have devastating consequences. Another line of evidence against the 10 percent myth comes from evolution. The brain has been shaped by millions of years of natural selection , which passes down favorable traits to increase likelihood of survival. It is unlikely that the body would dedicate so much of its energy to keep an entire brain functioning if it only uses 10 percent of the brain.
The main allure of the 10 percent myth is the idea that you could do so much more if only you could unlock the rest of your brain. It is true that nature can sometimes involve some strange designs, but to evolve to have a brain ten times the size we needed would seem very odd, when its large dimensions are so costly to our survival, leading on occasion to obstructed labour and the death of a mother during childbirth if no help is available.
So how can an idea with so little biological or physiological basis have spread so widely? It is hard to track down an original source. He was optimistic that people could achieve more, but he does not refer to brain volume or quantity of cells, nor does he give a specific percentage.
But Professor Della Sala has tried to find the quote, and even those who work at the Albert Einstein archives can find no record of it. So it seems this might be a myth too. There are two other phenomena that might account for the misunderstanding. Nine-tenths of the cells in the brain are so-called glial cells. If yes, would you vote to convict if you were on the jury?
If Taylor is convicted, should Taylor be incarcerated for the assault and for how long? Explain your reasoning at each step. Taylor is normally easy going but over a period of months, becomes progressively more violent and aggressive. Finally, Taylor gets into an argument with other people at a party and assaults a couple of them before being subdued. Taylor is appalled by the violence and deeply remorseful about the incident. Did you react differently to the two scenarios?
How is the first scenario different from the second one, or are they fundamentally the same? Your answers to these questions bear on key questions of human nature.
Do people really have free will or are they bound by their brain activity? It bears on how we view the causes of crime and other kinds of antisocial behavior. It has important implications on the question of personal responsibility in society. Do we always hold people personally responsible for their actions? If not, under what conditions do we excuse them? Can society function in a lawful and orderly way if we do not hold people personal responsible for their behavior?
Finally, it has implications for society as a whole. What if we could detect brain structures or genes that make it likely a person will develop destructive behaviors. How should we treat that person? This scenario is not hypothetical. Brain tumors can cause significant changes in mood and behavior. See these two resources:. For Part 3, reflect on your answers to Parts 1 and 2.
Did you find a difference between the two scenarios? What do these articles say about our free will and choice? If our brain tells us to do something, can we somehow disregard it? What does this mean for our personal responsibility for our actions? How can we decide when we have a choice and when we are victims of our brain? Traumatic brain injury is a risk in many professions, and usually safety precautions — such as wearing helmets — are taken to minimize the risk.
In some conditions, such as military combat, the risk of traumatic brain injury is high despite safety gear. Contact sports, such as American football and boxing, also carry the risk of head injury.
In sports, however, participation often starts at an early age and people participate in it for enjoyment. Now questions are being raised about the cost of participating in contact sports in terms of concussions and long-term debilitating brain injury. Is the enjoyment worth the risk, especially for youth?
This is a PBS Frontline documentary on CTE, which is common among former professional football players and is now showing up in former collegiate and even some high school players. The human brain is covered in folds, commonly known as wrinkles. The dip in each fold is called the sulcus, and the raised part is called the gyrus. Some people believe that a new wrinkle is formed every time a person learns something.
This is not the case. The brain starts to develop wrinkles before a person is born, and this process continues throughout childhood. First established in , scientists estimate that the brain is around 73 percent water. Keeping the brain hydrated is important. Cholesterol is a type of fat that people often consider bad for their health. The notion that a person uses only 10 percent of their brain is a myth. While there is still a lot to learn about the brain, researchers continue to fill in the gaps between fact and fiction.
What percentage of our brain do we use? Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. How much of our brain do we use? The 10 percent myth Improving brain function Other brain myths Brain facts Takeaway We include products we think are useful for our readers. Share on Pinterest Studies have debunked the myth that humans use only 10 percent of their brain. Where does the 10 percent myth come from?
0コメント