MadSci Network: Neuroscience |
Hi Steven, Thanks for addressing an 'urban myth' that rarely gets questioned. I, too, was curious about the origins of this misinformation and found a website that I believe answers your question better than I would be able to. My guess would have been that over the years, people misinterpreted the fact that people use about 10% of their brains for basic functioning (senses, movement) and extrapolated that to mean *all* functioning. To my knowledge, there has not been one scientific study that documents or supports this assertion. http://eslvcr.fireplug.net/bcskeptics/ratenq/Re3.2-Brain10.html I apologize for referring you to a website. Feel free to email me if you have further questions after reading its contents. Lynna Tsou lynna@uclink4.berkeley.edu [Moderator Note: Another excellent website that debunks this myth (and provides wonderful information and tutorials on all matters neurological) is the Neuroscience for Kids site. -- RJS]
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Neuroscience.