Stuti Jain | December 27th, 2024
The long-standing notion that humans only use 10 percent of their brains is a myth. In reality, scientists say that humans use all of their brain all of the time, even when we are sleeping. So, if researchers know this to be true, where did people even get this idea that we only use a small portion of our brain?
Rumor has it that Albert Einstein had claimed his genius was a result of being able to access more than 10 percent of his brain. Despite there being little evidence to actually corroborate this, the 10-percent myth has persisted through stories and movies. For example, one of Hollywood’s favorite tropes is this ‘awakening’ of a higher level of consciousness that allows human beings to display extraordinary abilities. But fact and fiction are not the same.
Researchers have used brain imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to provide empirical evidence that effectively dismantles this myth. The data from these imaging studies shows that very large areas of the brain — areas that account for much more than 10 percent of the brain — are engaged in even the simplest of tasks, like resting. It turns out that basically every part of the brain is active almost all the time — in fact, the brain represents only 3 percent of a person’s body weight but accounts for 20 percent of their energy consumption.
All in all, the durability of this 10 percent myth may tell us something about our society, but whatever that may be, it has nothing to do with science.
References
Boyd, Robynne. “Do People Only Use 10 Percent of Their Brains?” Scientific American, 7 Feb. 2008, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-people-only-use-10-percent-of-their-brains/.
Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Do We Really Use Only 10 Percent of Our Brain?” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/story/do-we-really-use-only-10-percent-of-our-brain.
Veerakone, Rubina. “Do We Use Only 10 Percent of Our Brain?” MIT McGovern Institute, 26 Jan. 2024, https://mcgovern.mit.edu/2024/01/26/do-we-use-only-10-percent-of-our-brain/
