If you're a sci-fi fan, you've probably heard or read this several times by now: Average human beings only use about 10% of their brains. Heck, odds are you've probably heard it even if you're not a sci-fi fan, since this idea seems to have sunk into mainstream consciousness, at least in America. But it seems to come up most often in science fiction, when a writer wants to come up with a reason why a certain character has superhuman intelligence or mental powers or whatever. It's easy! He just uses more of his brain than everyone else.
There's just one problem - that 10% figure is complete and utter BS.
We humans use ALL of our brains. Maybe not at every single moment, but over the course of a typical day, an average human will use all or almost all of his or her brain. See here for more.
I don't know how this idea got started, but it annoys me every time I see it. Especially since just a little research is all it takes to show someone it's false. I guess none of these science fiction writers have ever heard of an FMRI.
The most recent place this cropped up was in the Iron Man comic, where it was revealed that Tony Stark uses fully 72% of his brain! Wow. Who knew that one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe was actually horribly brain damaged?
Sheesh.
There's just one problem - that 10% figure is complete and utter BS.
We humans use ALL of our brains. Maybe not at every single moment, but over the course of a typical day, an average human will use all or almost all of his or her brain. See here for more.
I don't know how this idea got started, but it annoys me every time I see it. Especially since just a little research is all it takes to show someone it's false. I guess none of these science fiction writers have ever heard of an FMRI.
The most recent place this cropped up was in the Iron Man comic, where it was revealed that Tony Stark uses fully 72% of his brain! Wow. Who knew that one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe was actually horribly brain damaged?
Sheesh.
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