Ah, yes. The ever famous question- how much of our brain do we actually use? People all have different answers to this question, the most popular one being 10%. But is that the right answer?
The 10% Idea:
We've all seen or at least heard about those movies: the completely average person gets some sort of pill or drug that allows them to use their untapped brain potential. Suddenly, that person can do amazing things: recall pi to thousands of decimal places, understand things no other humans can, even telekinesis-
The 10% Idea:
We've all seen or at least heard about those movies: the completely average person gets some sort of pill or drug that allows them to use their untapped brain potential. Suddenly, that person can do amazing things: recall pi to thousands of decimal places, understand things no other humans can, even telekinesis-
Um, those are automatic doors, so that's.... Moving on. These sort of things may not be possible (sorry to disappoint you), because scientists think that the 10% Idea is a myth.
So What's the Real Answer?
The real answer, scientists say now, is: We use 100% of our brain. Now, this doesn't mean every region of the brain is working at this very second, but over the length of a day, MRI scans have shown almost every area of the brain to be recurrently active.
So What's the Real Answer?
The real answer, scientists say now, is: We use 100% of our brain. Now, this doesn't mean every region of the brain is working at this very second, but over the length of a day, MRI scans have shown almost every area of the brain to be recurrently active.
Does This Make Sense?
Still not completely convinced? Well, let's give you an example. Say you're eating a sandwich. Just bring the sandwich to your mouth, take a bite, chew, and enjoy the delicious taste of the PB&J. Simple, right?
Still not completely convinced? Well, let's give you an example. Say you're eating a sandwich. Just bring the sandwich to your mouth, take a bite, chew, and enjoy the delicious taste of the PB&J. Simple, right?
But there's actually a lot going on in your brain:
Conclusion
To sum it up, contrary to a lot of media, we don't use 10% of our brain; we use 100% of it. That means tapping into that unused brain power probably isn't going to happen, so unfortunately, you won't be getting any telekinetic powers. Unless you count opening automatic doors (cough, cough) telekinetic powers.
Note: All pictures used in this post are not to be reproduced or used in any manner without my consent. Thank you.
- The hypothalamus is what's telling us: "Hey, you're hungry, so you should eat!" It helps maintain homeostasis.
- The amygdala is part of emotion regulation, and controls are reaction to things important to our survival (like eating). When we see a cue of food, the amygdala tells us to respond by eating.
- The brainstem is working as always, controlling your involuntary functions (breathing is a bit important, you know).
- The motor cortex is what controls our voluntary movements, like taking a bite of the sandwich.
- The thalamus relays sensory input to the cortex, talking about all the taste (mmmm) and touch (feels soft and squishy, like bread) of the sandwich.
- The hippocampus is used for memory and learning, working when we do almost anything.
Conclusion
To sum it up, contrary to a lot of media, we don't use 10% of our brain; we use 100% of it. That means tapping into that unused brain power probably isn't going to happen, so unfortunately, you won't be getting any telekinetic powers. Unless you count opening automatic doors (cough, cough) telekinetic powers.
Note: All pictures used in this post are not to be reproduced or used in any manner without my consent. Thank you.