“We only use 10 % of our brain…”

It began when Einstein said that he only used 10% of his brain. Then, in 1930 Karl Lashley, using electric shocks, talked about “silent cortex”. Also, many dubious interpretations have fuelled this myth.

Actually, thanks imaging techniques, we can observe several functional areas, such as:

-Primary visual area: eye information

-Primary auditory area: ear information

-Several areas are linked to produce and comprehension of language.

If we accept the “10% myth”, we are misunderstanding the brain activity, because if we think that the areas function separately, for a determinate activity we would have a small active area, and the rest of the brain would be inactive, but it does not occur.

Really, we use many areas simultaneously. For example, when we see an object, our brain gets the primary information from eyes, and then analyzes it in the “secondary area”, participating the information of memory and language too.

Another source of the myth is concerning the “glial cells” (90% of the cells comprising the brain), because they do not participate in the transmission of the nerve impulse (only the neurons). However, the glial cells are essential to the right nervous develop.

Through neuroscience, we can know that there are not inactive brain areas. Even during sleep or under anaesthetic, we have movement, sensation or emotion areas functioning.

Other physiological reason that allow overthrow the myth, is the evolution theory, considering the brain consumes 20% of available energy. With such high energy, evolution would not have allowed the development of an organ of which 90% is useless.

In my opinion, it is very interesting!

Before I read the Dr. Maldonado`s paper I thought the this myth was true, but now I have learned it was wrong. The information is clear and easy to understand. I hope you are agree.