How much of our brain do we use?
By Markod
@Markod (23)
February 26, 2007 4:39am CST
I have always heard that humans only use a fraction of their brain capacities, I think it is supposed to be around 10% or so. I have always believed this to be true, and wondered at the potential for future intelectual growth inherent in our species.
Recently, however, I have heard that the 10% of our brain that we use is for thinking and motor skills, etc. whereas, far from the 90% being idle, it actually accounts for the operation of our senses, especially sight.
It would seem that the ability to manage and decipher all that our eyes observe, and to store and memorise each tiny detail accounts for the majority of our brain function.
What are your thoughts?
2 people like this
7 responses
@EvanHunter (4026)
• United States
4 Apr 07
I always heard this too but than I heard that we actually use all of our brain at different times. The example that was given to me was it would be like saying we dont use all off our muscles well of course we use all of them just not all at one time.
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
22 Mar 07
We use 10% to process, think and reason, but the other 90% is not idle by no means. The other 90% is used for other things that are not learned like breathing, blinking, swallowing. this was a talk show recently and I had never heard about the other 90% still being used it is just not used intellectually.
@ravi_080888 (781)
• India
26 Feb 07
i think we,the ordinary people are using very less amount of our brain(2%)...when people use 5% of their brain,they become genius..but i'm unable to know how to use my brain..i think everyone is having the same problem..but if we use our brain effectively,defintely we'll become a genius..
@dragonmojo (103)
• United States
26 Feb 07
Harvey Danger's been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding. As little as the "average" person uses the supposed capacity of the brain, there is a vast majority who I suspect use next to none of it.
Besides, if we were to increase that usage, our necks will have a difficult time supporting that bulbous head.
@MrCoolantSpray (1005)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I've heard that a lot, but no one tells how to tap the unused portion of the human brain. Seems like if it made that big a difference, someone would have figured it out by now, and told the rest of the world.
@normanlewisword (242)
• India
27 Feb 07
We all would have been Einsteins had we used 10% of our brains. We use at best about 2% of our brains. The rest of the grey matter stays idle till our turns grey. Even after considering the portions of our brain that go for our senses, our thought process, our metabolic activities... our more than 75% of our brain remains unutilised.
@silvermoonmyst (943)
• United States
26 Feb 07
Its an amazing thought that we only use a fraction of our brians capacity. Imagine what we could do if we could access the parts of our brain that do lay dormant. I do believe that the persent we do use though includes controling our senses though..
Still it leaves alot to the imgination as to what we would be able to do if we had all our bran fuctionable.
