The Misappliance Of Science

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Obviously, the other 90% is thinking about sex.

Debunked: People only use 10% of their brain capacity, and if we only were able to harness the other 90%, we'd all be telepathic genius superheroes.

There are several possible sources for this myth: Albert Einstein, Pierre Flourens, and William James are sometimes cited as the sources, but no one knows for sure how the myth got started. Experiments in rats have shown that rats with parts of their brains removed could relearn tasks, and people born with microencephaly can be of normal intelligence, suggesting to some that the much of the brain is unnecessary. Perhaps it has roots in the much older belief that the brain was primarily a heat sink for the body, and thus largely without much active benefit.

We do know the myth sticks around in large part because it is serves the purposes of human potential charlatans so well: if only you used the other 90% of your brain, you wouldn't be such a loser. Four monthly payments of $29.95 is all it takes for you to learn my SUPER BRANE MAXIMIZING SEEKRITS!!1!

But of course, it's obviously bunk. Attack it from any direction you wish: the likelihood that we would evolve an organ that is 90% useless is preposterous, especially when it is the organ responsible for humanity's ascendance on Earth. Given the many bonks on the head that people suffer throughout their lives, the idea that the brain is one big Department of Redundancy Department is a compelling idea, insuring that small knocks don't suddenly cause you to lose vital memories or skills.

Or perhaps you can attack it on its own logic: if People Today == 10% Brain Users, then what does a 100% Brain User look like? If they're vague about what 100% brain use is constituted of, then wonder out loud how they can be so vague about that yet know the precise 10% figure. You can't know the one with greater precision than the other.

Or just remark that the field of neuroscience is filled with people making far better use of their brains than your human potential rube, and they don't know how the brain really works. These are some smart, dedicated folks, and I get the feeling that, even though they're in the dark still about much that goes on inside your noggin, they have a much better idea about what makes your grey matter work than some guy with an E-Meter and a glassy stare.

References:

• Rob McGee uses 100% of his noodle