• Question: Even though your work doesn't cover this, the brain only uses 10% of its capacity so what do you think we are capable of doing with 100%?

    Asked by KOALA to Alex, Ali, Kerry, Philip, Theo on 13 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Alex Pool

      Alex Pool answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      Afraid this isn’t actually true. Your brain is an amazing piece of machinery, but it uses a lot more than 10%. Just it doesn’t use it all at once. So for instance when you’re moving muscles you’re using a different part of your brain than when you’re tasting food. So that’s where the 10% comes from, you use it all, just not all at once.

    • Photo: Alison Thomson

      Alison Thomson answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      Myth! Big big myth! Alex is right, we use all of our brains! What we see is processed by an area at the back of your brain, memories are in another part, our sense of touch and taste are processed in the sensory cortex, which is right next to the motor cortex (the bit that gives our bodies instructions, like walking or sitting). Then there are other bits that are always working without us being aware of it – like keeping balance, keeping your heart beating and your lungs breathing, and processing food that you’ve just eaten.
      We use all of our brain! Spread the word and break the biggest myth!

    • Photo: Philip Ratcliffe

      Philip Ratcliffe answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      Yes, where did you get that from? It’s like your body, how much of that are you using right now? 10%? But you couldn’t do very much if the other 90% weren’t there.
      What is true is that many many people under-achieve; that is, they never really push themselves to the limits or anywhere near them – just like with their bodies. Sports people make records, not only because they have some initial advantage, but also because they put it to good use by training … hard training! It’s the same with your brain; if you practice hard on solving some sorts of problems you’ll get a lot better, if you don’t you won’t.
      In other words we do have a huge potential (both physically and mentally), what’s missing in a lot of people is the ambition or drive to develop this and use it to its maximum.
      So the answer is that most top scientists, top artists, top athletes, top … already pushed themselves to their limits and couldn’t do much more, but millions and millions of people never realise what they could actually do if they tried.

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