I recently happened to watch the movie ‘LUCY’ , which I know it’s too late to discuss. Anyways, I will try to clear some common misconceptions regarding the Ten Percent Brain Myth, of which the film is based upon. The plot of this story goes like this… Johansson’s character is implanted with drugs that allow her to access 100 percent of her brain capacity. She subsequently gains the ability to learn Chinese in an instant, beat up bad guys, and throw cars with her mind (among other new talents). Morgan Freeman plays neuroscientist Professor Norman, who’s built his career around the 10 percent claim.
Now, its time for the FAQ’s!
Firstly,Is Lucy the first movie to use the 10 percent myth as a premise?
No, the 2011 movie Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper was based on the same idea, except the precise figure was placed at 20 percent. Cooper’s character takes a pill that lets him access the full 100 percent. Both the 1991 film Defending Your Life and Flight of the Navigator include claims that most of us use a fraction of our brains .. 😛
Is there any truth to the myth?
Certainly there is no truth to the idea that we only use 10 percent of our neural matter. Modern brain scans show activity coursing through the entire organ, even when we’re resting. Minor brain damage can have devastating effects – not what you’d expect if we had 90 percent spare capacity.
So why does the myth persist?
For many people, the 10 percent myth sounds both feasible and appealing because they see it in terms of human potential. Many of us believe that we could achieve so much more – learning languages, musical instruments, sporting skills – if only we applied ourselves.
Does it matter that films like Lucy spread the 10 percent myth?
It certainly bothers a lot of neuroscientists. There are so many widely held misunderstandings about the brain that scientists find it extremely unhelpful to have more nonsense spread to millions of movie goers. Other people I’ve spoken to are more optimistic and think that audiences will realize that the claims are not meant to be taken seriously.
Hope , my post would have cleared some of your misconceptions :). One thing is for sure, brain is a human Muscle, it needs suitable exercise and should grow to show it’s true potential. Let’s believe that and keep giving our brain some work to do!