Comments on: The 10% Myth

By: Robb

Robb — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:31:35 +0000

From what I understand, 100% of the brain being used at a time is called an epileptic seizure, is it not?

By: Harvey

Harvey — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:31:20 +0000

This is what I like to tell friends.

“Do you know what a ham sandwich smells like?”
“Yes.”
“Are you smelling a ham sandwich right now?”
“No.”
“That is part of the ‘missing’ 90%”

The brain has so much reduncancy built in that you wouldn’t want to use ‘100%’ of your brain power. You would go insane from the sensory input alone.

By: GW Crawford

GW Crawford — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:34:38 +0000

To say we only use 10% of our brain is kind of true

At a time, maybe

By that logic the most highly developed body is a full seizure victim, flailing about and thrashing

By: Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:48:16 +0000

Humans use more or less all of our brain. But how much of our brain do we CONCIOUSLY use? There are numerous automatic processes we have no control over, such as vision. So I think “90% of brain” should be intepreted as “control over 90% of brain”, in a way humans don’t have.

By: Seth Finkelstein

Seth Finkelstein — Sat, 12 May 2007 10:26:19 +0000

I’ve always taken DeathStroke’s brain “power” to mean that his enhancement is that he can use more *at the same time*, whereas ordinary people may use the same amount over time, but can only use a smaller amount at any given moment – in computer terms, he’s got something like 128-bit pathways compared to ordinary human 8-bit pathways. Same amount of data can be shipped over it, but much faster. So he reacts to situations fast, switches attention fast, can make decisions fast. It’s not superspeed, or superintelligence, but more like superawareness.

By: Scott Mc

Scott Mc — Fri, 11 May 2007 17:02:23 +0000

I present a gag on the subject. Sorta:
http://www.breakpointcity.com/archives/2003/03/08/superpowers/

By: Heimdall

Heimdall — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:24:19 +0000

Yeah, this thing gets to me, too.
I like to respond to the 10% claim by saying, “So I guess you won’t mind if I shoot you in the 90% of your brain that you’re not using.”
(Not sure where I first encountered that line, but it’s a good one.)

By: Ragnell

Ragnell — Fri, 11 May 2007 06:35:36 +0000

Thanks! I run into that &*%#! myth so often talking religion its unbelievably irritating.

By: F. J.

F. J. — Fri, 11 May 2007 06:00:10 +0000

Isn’t the Teen Titans’ villain Deathstroke entirely based on the idea that humans can only use less than 10% of their brain, and that he’s such a great assassin because he was scientifically enhanced to where he can use nearly all of his?