Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Cherene on 27/11/2011 18:30:02

Title: How can scientists tell how much of our brain we use?
Post by: Cherene on 27/11/2011 18:30:02

Cherene asked the Naked Scientists:
   Hi Chris 
The brain is without a doubt an extraordinary organ, I would like to know how
scientists establish how much of our brain we really use, some say we only use 10% of our brain but how could one know that for sure ?

Regards Cherene 






What do you think?

Title: How can scientists tell how much of our brain we use?
Post by: Phil1907 on 27/11/2011 17:18:55

Think the 10% use concept is a myth.

Title: How can scientists tell how much of our brain we use?
Post by: RD on 28/11/2011 00:56:28

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fmri (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fmri)

Title: How can scientists tell how much of our brain we use?
Post by: jacksonema on 28/11/2011 04:49:41

This is very interesting topic. I got really
good information after going through it. Thanks
for explaining about  topic.

Title: How can scientists tell how much of our brain we use?
Post by: CliffordK on 01/12/2011 03:25:06

Those people using greater than 50% of their brain are probably in the middle of an epileptic seizure!!!

The concept is pretty simple.  Use a PET scan or FMRI and judge which sections of the brain are showing activity greater than baseline, and which sections of the brain are showing activity at or below baseline, and then calculate a percent active.

Of course, that means assuming that the areas at baseline are actually "inactive" which may not truly be the case.

However, the answer is pretty meaningless.

Another way of looking at it is to consider the deficits after traumatic brain injuries and strokes.  In some cases, people can recover from very large damaged areas.  In other cases, damage to some very small critical areas can lead to some extraordinary deficits.

Title: How can scientists tell how much of our brain we use?
Post by: Kryptid on 01/12/2011 04:04:46

The brain is an energy-hungry organ. If any part of it was there absorbing calories without providing any benefit in terms of survival, then evolution would have gotten rid of those parts in time.