What percentage of your brain do you use? - Richard E. Cytowic

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  • Опубликовано: 2 дек 2024
  • ed.ted.com/less...
    Two thirds of the population believes a myth that has been propagated for over a century: that we use only 10% of our brains. Hardly! Our neuron-dense brains have evolved to use the least amount of energy while carrying the most information possible -- a feat that requires the entire brain. Richard E. Cytowic debunks this neurological myth (and explains why we aren't so good at multitasking).
    Lesson by Richard E. Cytowic, animation by TOGETHER.

Комментарии • 2,5 тыс.

  • @jusstmemoo5467
    @jusstmemoo5467 4 года назад +4464

    Brain at night: uses 20% of my energy
    Brain during an exam: three take it or leave it

    • @mohdghani7171
      @mohdghani7171 4 года назад +106

      sadly, I have to take it😓

    • @spit2u744
      @spit2u744 4 года назад +12

      Lol

    • @vijis962
      @vijis962 4 года назад +13

      True 😅😅😅

    • @Konvicct
      @Konvicct 4 года назад +10

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @9ela
      @9ela 4 года назад +3

      Hahahahaha true

  • @hitinbhagat
    @hitinbhagat 7 лет назад +5230

    Can i turn off battery saving mode and change to high performance mode

    • @madhureddyindian9715
      @madhureddyindian9715 5 лет назад +311

      Yah, but you need to eat 24 hours for that and an artificial digesting system.

    • @kddhore7580
      @kddhore7580 4 года назад +145

      meditate to achieve that

    • @vincenzinop
      @vincenzinop 4 года назад +347

      Yes, do drugs

    • @AKGirthQuake
      @AKGirthQuake 4 года назад +74

      Eat a tide pod

    • @cyclo9
      @cyclo9 4 года назад +90

      You don’t have the correct battery charger wire.

  • @saturn724
    @saturn724 8 лет назад +4799

    this video just activated 90% more neurons in my brain

  • @assadarlingtoni
    @assadarlingtoni 5 лет назад +2172

    I just realized that when i insult my brain for acting awkward in public the brain actually insults itself and i am actually my brain and my brain is actually me. Life is crazy

    • @eliassis576
      @eliassis576 4 года назад +66

      you can train it step by step to be less awkward and gather information about socializing,and use it to change your own behavior...

    • @eliassis576
      @eliassis576 4 года назад +25

      mind-blowing, I know...

    • @surfinmuso37
      @surfinmuso37 4 года назад +75

      No. U are not your brain, just as u are not your body. Why? Because u cannot fully control your brain, or your body etc. What YOU are is awareness-this is the ONLY thing one can control..where to put your awareness, and the body and brain responds to this. You....are the awareness that realizes your observation about your brain.
      Maintain awareness.

    • @imaginarychip4916
      @imaginarychip4916 4 года назад +21

      @@surfinmuso37
      So technically theres no "me"
      Im just some body parts that myself i guess my "soul" is controlling, not even fully controlling

    • @surfinmuso37
      @surfinmuso37 4 года назад +23

      @@imaginarychip4916 What we call "me" is a transient illusion, same goes for the soul. There is no transmutable identity. Nearly all of these illusions are projections of our ego that we indulge in/attach to, falsely believing them to be real.

  • @b19altamashnigar6
    @b19altamashnigar6 5 лет назад +816

    Human brain:
    Let me clear all the myths about me😂

    • @slevinchannel7589
      @slevinchannel7589 3 года назад

      Actually, the 10%-Thing is not quite a Myth.
      Yes, its wrong IF phrased in some certain ways.
      But its actually true if phrased differently.
      I mean, yes, even a Sneeze activates all the parts of the brain,
      but thats not what this 'Myth' ever meant, so it literally doesnt matter.
      Its really just a Phrasing Problem,
      as its obvious fact and also obvious that humans do not
      use what they're capable of. I mean, it cant get more obvious.
      I really dont have to show evidence how easy it is to improve or
      talk about how laughable the idea is that humans will never evolve past
      what they're right now capable of. I mean, i dont throw around
      the word obvious for no reason, ya know.
      So yeah, its a Phrasing Problem and a bit more complex
      than saying 'Yeah, its just a Myth, duh'.

    • @theperson_12
      @theperson_12 3 года назад +1

      @@slevinchannel7589 if we use 100% of our brain we have a seizure

    • @slevinchannel7589
      @slevinchannel7589 3 года назад +1

      @@theperson_12 ...Ya missing the point, lad...

    • @theperson_12
      @theperson_12 3 года назад +1

      @@slevinchannel7589
      1. supress your bri'ish side
      2. yes i know im missing the point and i know we dont have unlocked some of the potential of the brain

    • @anushkaagarwal6561
      @anushkaagarwal6561 2 года назад +1

      Exactly. The brain must be offended 😂😂

  • @aiiman
    @aiiman 9 лет назад +9998

    The human brain created a video about a myth of itself.

  • @josevallenchee11
    @josevallenchee11 7 лет назад +441

    "this packing is why we are so smart." the brain praising and admiring himself.

    • @aashiyanaashfaqueiv-aroll-4131
      @aashiyanaashfaqueiv-aroll-4131 4 года назад +7

      😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
      My brain told me to write this

    • @monkemonke9048
      @monkemonke9048 3 года назад +2

      me after this realizing im already 115 iq and underweight FOOD EATING MODE ACTIVIATED HIGH PERFORMANCE CHECK

  • @Nguyenzander
    @Nguyenzander 4 года назад +205

    As CGP Grey once said, “If you believe someone can scoop out 90% of your brain out and still be fine, maybe you do use 10% of your brain.”

    • @mhamddor5393
      @mhamddor5393 2 года назад +1

      Actually there's a guy that lived normaly(ofcourse not fully normally he had low iq lol) with nearly 10% of his brain. U can actually check it out on a channel named thoughty²

    • @pustota7254
      @pustota7254 Год назад

      @@mhamddor5393 bruh

  • @segzybae9291
    @segzybae9291 5 лет назад +611

    Ted: Don't waste your "brain energy"
    Me: *thinks about how i could have won an argoment from 5 years ago*

    • @lkvideos7181
      @lkvideos7181 4 года назад +7

      we know that feel lol

    • @shijink74
      @shijink74 4 года назад +18

      Specially thinking while you are in bed n trying to sleep....

    • @demgorav1587
      @demgorav1587 4 года назад +12

      Man
      That comment brought my depression back

    • @alyna9103
      @alyna9103 4 года назад +4

      𝚒𝚔𝚛(;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`)

    • @slevinchannel7589
      @slevinchannel7589 3 года назад +1

      Actually, the 10%-Thing is not quite a Myth.
      Yes, its wrong IF phrased in some certain ways.
      But its actually true if phrased differently.
      I mean, yes, even a Sneeze activates all the parts of the brain,
      but thats not what this 'Myth' ever meant, so it literally doesnt matter.
      Its really just a Phrasing Problem,
      as its obvious fact and also obvious that humans do not
      use what they're capable of.
      I mean, it cant get more obvious.
      I really dont have to show evidence how easy it is to improve or
      talk about how laughable the idea is that humans will never evolve past
      what they're right now capable of. I mean, i dont throw around
      the word obvious for no reason, ya know...

  • @mehrinisokamalova3327
    @mehrinisokamalova3327 5 лет назад +91

    "'Don't let a fraudulent myth make you guilty about your supposedly lazy brain. Guilt would be a waste of energy." it makes sense.

  • @thatrandomgirl.2675
    @thatrandomgirl.2675 8 лет назад +3834

    What's the only organ that named itself?
    The brain.

    • @voltronbugzilla8775
      @voltronbugzilla8775 8 лет назад +181

      +Nm Coates The brain studies itself.

    • @ashutoshpradhan2842
      @ashutoshpradhan2842 7 лет назад +44

      ThatRandom Girl.26 MINDFUCK!

    • @WORTHYOURTIME1
      @WORTHYOURTIME1 5 лет назад +71

      tongue

    • @mrcoolman2
      @mrcoolman2 5 лет назад +17

      Metaphorically so did the heart

    • @StephJ0seph
      @StephJ0seph 5 лет назад +36

      I didn't name myself brain, you guys did and I followed along with what you were calling me.

  • @Marv3Lthe1
    @Marv3Lthe1 8 лет назад +1876

    Watching a Vsauce video makes the brain consume 99% of energy.

  • @mujtaba8833
    @mujtaba8833 8 лет назад +316

    Thank God someone made a video. I remember spending hours trying to convince few of my friends after watching Lucy movie that the movie was based on a myth and is far from truth (as far as brain power is concerned)

    • @lmao2302
      @lmao2302 8 лет назад +15

      They actually thought it was real?

    • @abraham8178
      @abraham8178 2 года назад +8

      But this video says our brain using efficient plan which made that myth true

    • @meetali2820
      @meetali2820 2 года назад +11

      Hi person from 5years back

    • @RagNav2022
      @RagNav2022 3 месяца назад

      OK but how much % of our brians do we actually use then?

  • @jogo6478
    @jogo6478 3 года назад +54

    Brain : I'm self learning about myself.

  • @hadiqasim8359
    @hadiqasim8359 4 года назад +169

    The brain called itself “smart and powerful” and made me type this

    • @slevinchannel7589
      @slevinchannel7589 3 года назад +1

      Actually, the 10%-Thing is not quite a Myth.
      Yes, its wrong IF phrased in some certain ways.
      But its actually true if phrased differently.
      I mean, yes, even a Sneeze activates all the parts of the brain,
      but thats not what this 'Myth' ever meant, so it literally doesnt matter.
      Its really just a Phrasing Problem,
      as its obvious fact and also obvious that humans do not
      use what they're capable of. I mean, it cant get more obvious.
      I really dont have to show evidence how easy it is to improve or
      talk about how laughable the idea is that humans will never evolve past
      what they're right now capable of. I mean, i dont throw around
      the word obvious for no reason, ya know.
      So yeah, its a Phrasing Problem and a bit more complex
      than saying 'Yeah, its just a Myth, duh'.

    • @somberri276
      @somberri276 3 года назад +8

      nice, my brain wanted to type this because it thinks you're smart and powerful to type this comment

    • @АртемийШабанов-ж9м
      @АртемийШабанов-ж9м 3 года назад +1

      The truth is that you even don't exist apart of your brain😂

    • @HirRofiC
      @HirRofiC Год назад +1

      So full of himself.

  • @Korajiyo
    @Korajiyo 9 лет назад +636

    "makes us so smart'.
    ehhh....
    most of us.

    • @tristanlau1213
      @tristanlau1213 8 лет назад +58

      Except the Kardashians

    • @antonynoel1526
      @antonynoel1526 8 лет назад +7

      +Tristan Lau
      lol

    • @shawarmageddonit
      @shawarmageddonit 4 года назад +1

      "most of us".
      Ehhh....

    • @maybetullah
      @maybetullah 4 года назад +3

      That's the vegans and people who don't know they're in a pyramid scheme

    • @maybetullah
      @maybetullah 4 года назад +4

      Sorry, I forgot the flat earthers

  • @kavitagracenelson8670
    @kavitagracenelson8670 9 лет назад +530

    When the current generation grows up I hope we'll be telling our children that "when I was a kid, people still thought that we only used 10% of our brains."

    • @brosplit
      @brosplit 7 лет назад +10

      It is, we use 10% at a time so we dont fry our brains out. Like powersaving CPU; 4 cpus, only each working at a time for power efficiency.

    • @TheGamerAdventurersX
      @TheGamerAdventurersX 7 лет назад +11

      now we add 6% more to that and that's the maximum capacity our brains can maintain before frying out!

    • @frankguan5044
      @frankguan5044 7 лет назад +16

      It is true, that's how trump got elected.

    • @forconsama1453
      @forconsama1453 6 лет назад +6

      i just hope we won't tell them that some people believes that earth is flat

    • @datrollface2863
      @datrollface2863 3 года назад +1

      @@brosplit did you watch the video?

  • @Ultrasound700
    @Ultrasound700 10 лет назад +259

    This video really brought up my self esteem.

    • @MaxTax_
      @MaxTax_ 7 лет назад +1

      An Idea Guy 3 years later... nice.

    • @erickevin8819
      @erickevin8819 5 лет назад +2

      @@MaxTax_ two years later.... Nice

    • @reuzohvestioridecan1125
      @reuzohvestioridecan1125 5 лет назад

      Conceptually all ideas are only considered real if it fits to a standard and after you think of an alternate reality reality then turns to something conceptual bitches

    • @krytzzz
      @krytzzz 3 года назад

      Give me an year

    • @nobody9706
      @nobody9706 3 года назад

      How?

  • @guitarmike37308
    @guitarmike37308 2 года назад +2

    If I was a teacher, I would start every class with one of these videos. They are the most informative and entertaining videos I have discovered on RUclips.

  • @MiriamLylac
    @MiriamLylac 10 лет назад +28

    I already knew the myth wasn't as it seemed, but you explained it more clearly than I would have imagined would have been available to find. So many stupid misconceptions are in need of being changed in the minds of so many people, it's crazy! Your video was clear and informative, and what I most liked about it is that you somehow succeeded in making a video appropriate both for the general public and for the knowledgeable in biology. Well done!

  • @crazymarkmc
    @crazymarkmc 8 лет назад +356

    i guess thats why im always hungry and my head hurts after doing complicated tasks

    • @dynastysaturday9062
      @dynastysaturday9062 8 лет назад +4

      Same

    • @rith5073
      @rith5073 8 лет назад +26

      actually, after taking examination, i feel really hungry too.

    • @djvasforever
      @djvasforever 7 лет назад +22

      I eat more than 64 hungry crocodiles but never gain any weight. Turns out I think too much ))))

    • @twoheadedhead2095
      @twoheadedhead2095 7 лет назад +13

      maybe that is why im coming home from school hungry

    • @blugaledoh2669
      @blugaledoh2669 6 лет назад

      ok

  • @Truthseeker182
    @Truthseeker182 10 лет назад +83

    Let me add in the fact that 10% of brain cells are neurons. The other 90% are known as "glial cells". These cells act as support structures for neurons to attach and anchor themselves to. They also bring nutrients to the neurons so that they can transmit electricity. You use 100% of your brain, everyday. I dream of doing a Ted talk one day. Still so much to learn.

    • @JonathonKeeney
      @JonathonKeeney 10 лет назад +17

      Actually, this widely held view has recently been overturned! While there are certainly small regions of the brain that have a high ratio of glial cells to neurons (I seem to recall the thalamus is around 17:1), most of the brain is much closer to 1:1, as demonstrated primarily by Suzana Herculano-Houzel (for a good review of this, see: www.frontiersin.org/human_neuroscience/10.3389/neuro.09.031.2009/abstract).

    • @wntsumcandy
      @wntsumcandy 10 лет назад +1

      Well that's false

    • @jonathanyuan4715
      @jonathanyuan4715 10 лет назад

      ***** Water, empty space, and things we wouldn't normally measure aren't cells. Glial cells and neurons, however, are indeed cells.

    • @jonathanyuan4715
      @jonathanyuan4715 10 лет назад

      thanks for your sources

  • @kckkkkck
    @kckkkkck 4 года назад +48

    the brain always asks itself: why i know nothing about me...

  • @janetheywood4300
    @janetheywood4300 2 года назад +2

    Ted talks,- the best videos ever posted on RUclips, great subject matter, well presented, this kind of thing is what the Internet needs more of.

  • @zacguseinov7523
    @zacguseinov7523 8 лет назад +1072

    Here because of the movie Lucy

    • @dxysih4539
      @dxysih4539 7 лет назад +19

      Lmao same , i got curious

    • @pmdpaula
      @pmdpaula 7 лет назад +3

      Zac Guseinov The idea came first.

    • @charles-9134
      @charles-9134 7 лет назад +14

      The best movie ever❤️❤️

    • @unicornwhale3807
      @unicornwhale3807 7 лет назад +1

      Zac Guseinov What does the movie says?

    • @hrf6548
      @hrf6548 7 лет назад

      Zac Guseinov sameee

  • @V101SPACE
    @V101SPACE 10 лет назад +119

    That's a good bit of myth busting! Great video.

    • @FelixT370
      @FelixT370 7 лет назад

      Hi

    • @organicfarm5524
      @organicfarm5524 3 года назад +1

      You've become a fairly big RUclipsr in 7 years 👍

    • @smokey04200420
      @smokey04200420 3 года назад +2

      0:06 “We use 10% of our brain” is a myth.
      4:04 “We use 1% to 16% of our brain at any given moment.”
      That doesn’t sound like a myth to me. To me, that sounds like it’s the opposite of a myth.

  • @NafisAhmad56
    @NafisAhmad56 9 лет назад +36

    here goes the movie Limitless and Lucy. Also the TV series limitless.

    • @MorganHorse
      @MorganHorse 9 лет назад

      No, Lucy is still possible. If you remember they said the whole brain is used, but not at it's highest strength. I don't think the statement "we only use %90 of our brains" is meant to apply to the physical area of the brain rather than its power. I am not saying I believe it either way, as I don't, but anything is possible..

    • @NafisAhmad56
      @NafisAhmad56 9 лет назад +1

      +Shaun Regenbaum may be it will run like high speed car for 10 minutes. than nothing will work. You know computer processors they can do anything but can not dream to become something more then 100%.
      we have to work more and think more to become some one better and beyond. We can add 10-20 more humans brains together (collaboration) to use our brain more 100% of single persons brain.

    • @shakaboom7311
      @shakaboom7311 8 лет назад +1

      +Nafis Ahmad this is not related but let me just share my experience.
      before Limitless I was a catholic.
      After limitless i had the notion that i can be God because of the power of our brain
      before Lucy, reality hits me and i became an atheist
      and after lucy i was able to re-think possibilities and reality so now i am and probably will remain agnostic

    • @WingsOfAltair
      @WingsOfAltair 8 лет назад

      +Nafis Ahmad Movies are not meant to be taken seriously.

    • @aminatabi
      @aminatabi 8 лет назад

      +Shaka Boom I looooooovvvveeeee that movie

  • @animecatdat2490
    @animecatdat2490 5 лет назад +9

    TED Ed was so amazing, they helped me very much in my life and more!

  • @levero
    @levero 2 года назад +3

    The best yt channel ever. Isn't it??

  • @AmiyaPatanaik
    @AmiyaPatanaik 10 лет назад +774

    The only person using 10% of his brain was the guy who perpetuated the idea that we use 10% of our brain....

    • @rafaeloda
      @rafaeloda 10 лет назад +27

      Maybe he meant at the same time and others misunderstood it, well i guess we'll never know.

    • @BranoKill
      @BranoKill 10 лет назад +17

      Well if that's true he was actually right....

    • @lorddarkseid9445
      @lorddarkseid9445 10 лет назад +1

      No ass hole we use all of our brains at the time

    • @rafaeloda
      @rafaeloda 10 лет назад +7

      Actually, you don't.

    • @lorddarkseid9445
      @lorddarkseid9445 10 лет назад

      Rafael Oda bill nye do we really use all of our brain video, asap science, danger dolan, THIS

  • @matthewsands1572
    @matthewsands1572 10 лет назад +16

    As interesting as that was it didn't so much debunk the myth but explain the reason for it and clarify that it is not that we use 10% and the other 90% does nothing but rather that at any one time our brain is functioning at 10% usage (approximately). Sounded more like you clarified the "myth" and explained it rather than debunking it.

    • @ecso828
      @ecso828 10 лет назад +7

      It did seem that way a little. But he also explained the difference between conscious and unconscious use. Also, we use 100 percent of the brain, just not all at the same time. Different tasks require different regions of the brain. So we USE 100 percent of the brain. Just not all at once. It's just like you USE 100 percent of your house, but you can only be in one room of the house at a time.

    • @sirMAXX77
      @sirMAXX77 10 лет назад

      It's being pointed out that we can't use 100% of our brain. Our body can't sustain it, because it would consume too much power and can only handle a small percentage at any given time. The Myth was that a huge portion was just not being used and had to be 'unlocked', like a room in house that doesn't get used. Yes we do use all of the brain. Just not all at once and I think the video explains that it is the most efficient way for the brain to work.

    • @rafaeloda
      @rafaeloda 10 лет назад +1

      Well if you consider the cerebellum and medulla activities i believe that it is a little more than 10% at a time. I mean, even if you are walking on the sidewalk, talking to a cellphone you can still process image input from you eyes, feel the air temperature with your skin and feel your body balance while you walk. But of course that priority preemptiveness (as in computing) of your brain is still working enough so you can process a car horn sound and stop the other activities to pay attention to that because your brain 'understands' that it is a higher priority to not get run over by a car. [Feel free to discuss it, politely]

    • @jadeprinces
      @jadeprinces 10 лет назад

      Rafael Oda
      I think that is true we use all of our brain but not all of it in the same time.Who know what would world look like if we could use all of our brain potential all the time.

    • @bond-potter-morriarti7194
      @bond-potter-morriarti7194 4 года назад +1

      @@jadeprinces We'd probably see everything, hear everything, feel everything, remember everything in the space of a second...then in the next second realize it was a bad idea as our body shuts down from the exhaustion

  • @TheLearningLabs
    @TheLearningLabs 10 лет назад +8

    Great Video, very informative and interesting.
    Fantastic job done by the animators, loved the graphics.

  • @NativeVsColonial
    @NativeVsColonial 4 года назад +4

    As an Intellectual, I come to a solution and that is, we need more Glucose to pump into our head?
    judging by the circumstances @1:30 since kids learn and remember things easily because their brain consumes more glucose to body ratio...

  • @TheBrownAsianGuy
    @TheBrownAsianGuy 4 года назад +1

    Why this Video ended?

  • @jazzzWagon
    @jazzzWagon 10 лет назад +6

    I love it when he says - 'Dont you realize its dumb to waste mental energy?!'

  • @TheFIoodPlain
    @TheFIoodPlain 8 лет назад +10

    4:10 - "... between 1% and 16% of cells should be active at any given moment."
    What I gathered from this video is that the myth is true that we do only use about 10% of our brain (in a single instance). The misunderstanding lies in people thinking that it's beneficial or even possible for more cells than that to fire simultaneously.
    Correct me if I'm mistaken?

    • @jacobkinakin9326
      @jacobkinakin9326 8 лет назад +1

      +The Flood Plain That's what I got.

    • @machicote1225
      @machicote1225 8 лет назад

      I thought the same exact thing except for one problem the myth is we only use 10% he said 1-16% is active, so I guess its not completely the same

    • @NayOnFrames
      @NayOnFrames 7 лет назад +1

      You are not mistaken.

    • @derengo1
      @derengo1 5 лет назад

      We use the other parts too not only that 1-16% but its not simultaneously active at the same time but we use every part.

  • @Makoto778
    @Makoto778 9 лет назад +208

    Time to overclock our brains

    • @yosh1360
      @yosh1360 6 лет назад +6

      Mako-kun CORE I9 OVERCLOCKIN OH YEAH

    • @Liravin
      @Liravin 4 года назад +1

      Did you mean: "Drugs and psychoactive substances"?

    • @kinghassan5486
      @kinghassan5486 4 года назад

      Yeah, going for new abilitie awesome !

    • @slevinchannel7589
      @slevinchannel7589 3 года назад

      Actually, the 10%-Thing is not quite a Myth.
      Yes, its wrong IF phrased in some certain ways.
      But its actually true if phrased differently.
      I mean, yes, even a Sneeze activates all the parts of the brain,
      but thats not what this 'Myth' ever meant, so it literally doesnt matter.
      Its really just a Phrasing Problem,
      as its obvious fact and also obvious that humans do not
      use what they're capable of. I mean, it cant get more obvious.
      So yeah, its a Phrasing Problem and a bit more complex
      than saying 'Yeah, its just a Myth, duh'.

  • @Gokool_wid_Life_coz_YoLO
    @Gokool_wid_Life_coz_YoLO 6 лет назад +13

    What an awesome explanation, learnt so many things in this one video than watching hours of other videos. Thanks Addison Anderson, your voice to these videos makes it all the way more interesting to keep hearing from you. Love Ted Ed❤️❤️❤️

  • @anaghatal3292
    @anaghatal3292 6 лет назад +1

    Ted Ed just makes everything which seems to very common and perhaps boring,very interesting. Love to listen to information. Love the animations. Love the voice.

  • @2ezRicky
    @2ezRicky 10 лет назад +600

    That Lucy movie brought me here xD had to do some research.But just imagine we as humans using our brains to its full potential 100% of the time instead of sections that be pretty awesome

    • @lukethegreat101
      @lukethegreat101 10 лет назад +55

      Professor Norman needs to watch this video...

    • @matthewgraham790
      @matthewgraham790 10 лет назад +37

      we would be thinking about a lot of things at once, not on any one particular thing "more/better", i doubt it would feel comfortable

    • @Neion8
      @Neion8 10 лет назад +78

      Actually, it would probably make it almost impossible to concentrate on anything.
      Also, if our entire brain was active all the time, we would all be insomniacs and probably extremely depressed.

    • @paolachavez4835
      @paolachavez4835 10 лет назад

      *****

    • @keltzar1
      @keltzar1 10 лет назад +27

      The brain isn't designed to have all of its neurons firing at once. It wouldn't work well.

  • @someoneelse318
    @someoneelse318 7 лет назад +15

    What amazes me the most is the fact the brain found the perfect balance between computing power and energy efficiency without even thinking about it.

  • @brooktehkitteh
    @brooktehkitteh 8 лет назад +534

    watching this video made all my neurons activate. i am typing this from a 5th dimension in the 2nd dimension of the 31st dimension of galaxy A2599b also i am using telekinesis and writing this while i sleep, which is me staying awake with my eyes closed because my body does not need sleep to function.

  • @TheAstroG
    @TheAstroG 3 года назад +3

    Video is old but gold!!!

  • @ferns800
    @ferns800 5 лет назад +13

    TedEd: don’t multitask
    Me: hold my piano

    • @in-finity0
      @in-finity0 4 месяца назад

      Thats more about muscle memory though

  • @locke_ytb
    @locke_ytb 4 года назад +14

    It's amazing how our brains complexify or evolved over the decades and we still cant completely understand it's full power.

  • @SpinningSpinor
    @SpinningSpinor 8 лет назад +18

    Build the wall!Make our brains great again!

  • @charleszhao9178
    @charleszhao9178 3 года назад +7

    Wonderful science introduction even to a biology student! And wonderful animation presented.

  • @jesusisthewaythetruthandth622
    @jesusisthewaythetruthandth622 5 месяцев назад

    About doing one thing at a time(in the context of a man named Timothy's work as a pastor)
    ‭1 Timothy 4:15 AMPC‬
    [15] Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody.
    I think this wisdom can also be applied to us as well

  • @chiragbarmecha4031
    @chiragbarmecha4031 2 года назад +1

    Just leaving a comment here to really appreciate the content, the research and the narration.

  • @Tupster
    @Tupster 10 лет назад +8

    You shouldn't take this to mean the old myth was correct in anyway.
    Your brain might flicker in order to save energy, but the while thing flickers.
    That is very different than having a couple of bright spots and everything else is dark.

    • @enduraman1
      @enduraman1 10 лет назад +1

      The old myth is partially right. The brain activity is between 1-16% at any moment in time. Collectively the parts of brain which are active changes over time and therefore the usage of the brain is 100% over many moments.

    • @Tupster
      @Tupster 10 лет назад +3

      If you take a snapshot, but it is flickering like a lightbulb at high speed.
      My point was that the old myth is not correct at all because it was measuring the wrong thing.
      You don't get to be right just because the numbers look the same. You have to show your work!

    • @christianvelez882
      @christianvelez882 10 лет назад +2

      Brian Kenneth Kondas
      No the old myth is wrong. Saying we only use 10% of our brain is utterly ridiculous. We use part of it at a given time yes, but that is completely different than only being able to use 10%.

  • @salamilid3929
    @salamilid3929 8 лет назад +147

    give this guy 1 Millon dollars

    • @thepugwarrior2678
      @thepugwarrior2678 8 лет назад +2

      He's not Trump

    • @undead890
      @undead890 8 лет назад +10

      In all fairness, it's not a small loan.

    • @B8R8
      @B8R8 8 лет назад +1

      The Pug Warrior m

    • @Otaner142
      @Otaner142 8 лет назад +12

      Isaac Trapp a small loan of a million dollars ?

  • @todabsolute
    @todabsolute 4 года назад +57

    Teded: 10% of the brain is a myth
    Also teded: brain uses 1-16% of it

    • @kartick9
      @kartick9 3 года назад +20

      At a time

    • @todabsolute
      @todabsolute 3 года назад +1

      @@kartick9 thanks, I didn't watch the video

    • @voltgaming2213
      @voltgaming2213 3 года назад +10

      @@todabsolute vodka allows brain to work at 100 capacity at a time

    • @stapleman007
      @stapleman007 3 года назад +1

      I'm usually at 1%, I must be elite.

  • @jorgejuan4732
    @jorgejuan4732 6 лет назад +6

    THE CONCLUSION : We use 100 % of the brain, but not at the same time. It depends of the things we do

  • @lolmishchikishibabblabuh690
    @lolmishchikishibabblabuh690 3 года назад +1

    I realized that we should choose what we are going to think

  • @Tupster
    @Tupster 10 лет назад +12

    Wow people, pay attention.
    We use our entire brains. The video said any part that wasn't used would be such a waste of energy that evolution would have eliminated it.

  • @LynneSkysong
    @LynneSkysong 10 лет назад +4

    So the short answer is that we only use ~10% of our brain AT ANY GIVEN TIME. Good to know. I still love the movie Matilda, even if it planted a false idea of how I use my brain when I was a kid.
    Side Note and question:
    Don't we _technically_ multitask all the time? There's a lot of unconscious processes going on in the body. And for conscious tasks, I can do some pretty not amazing stuff like chew gum and walk. Or walk and talk. Or listen to Welcome to Nightvale and work on a puzzle. Isn't that multitasking too? Or is my brain just switching from task A to B and back so quickly that I don't realize it? (And can you test for that with brain scans?)

    • @yashakhauri
      @yashakhauri 10 лет назад +2

      We multitask all the time, but unconsciously. It would be pretty damn hard to remind yourself to take a breath or start a heart beat every second wouldnt it. And when you do a puzzle and listen to a song, most times you'd forget about one task at hand which you are focusing less on. Thats why while playing video games you realize hours later that the playlist was already over. Thats because it has gone unnoticed. And even though we use 10% of our brains, i don't really think using it all would make us a genius, it would probably only increase our attention and the ability to do math while we play while we talk to a person while we watch a movie. Oh wait. It might actually help. But wouldn't the load drive us crazy? :P
      And yes you can test that with brain scans, different regions of our brains are associated to problem solving and listening. But just because we aren't paying attention doesnt mean it isnt a stimulus to out brain.

    • @enduraman1
      @enduraman1 10 лет назад +1

      Yes this in the same understanding I have. The entire brain is being used at approximately 10% at any given time.

  • @SanghoBose5
    @SanghoBose5 9 лет назад +5

    Thanks TED-ED. This was really informative.
    I hope the director of LUCY checks this video :P

  • @Bored_Uchiha
    @Bored_Uchiha 3 года назад +1

    Science: You use 10% of the brain.
    Me: Wait. I don't have a brain.

  • @NimbleHD
    @NimbleHD 5 лет назад +46

    "Watched This Video"
    *5 Minutes Later*
    "Me trying to use all my Brain Neurons"

  • @adityarokde1304
    @adityarokde1304 3 года назад +6

    According to brain, the most intelligent thing in the universe is brain

  • @manishgoel5720
    @manishgoel5720 10 лет назад +4

    What I understood is that Energy Management requires brain to use only specific parts at a time (though it indeed uses the entire brain over a long span of time). So, the limiting factor is energy. But what if we remove this limiting factor? What would happen if we supply infinite energy to the brain? Can we force it into using all of its part together? if yes, then what would be the result of it?

    • @lawrenceparry8921
      @lawrenceparry8921 10 лет назад +3

      Different areas of the brain are specialised for different tasks. The reason we only use a small proportion of our brain at any given time, is that it is not necessary for areas unrelated to the task to be being used. For example, there's no point in a part of your brain specialised in making cupcakes being active, when you are taking a maths test.

    • @manishgoel5720
      @manishgoel5720 10 лет назад +1

      My point is, what if we start to use the entire brain simultaneously? It won't affect the current task, and it will have other benefits.

    • @manishgoel5720
      @manishgoel5720 10 лет назад

      ***** The brain has different regions for different tasks. There are different specific regions for motor actions, for senses, for involuntary actions and so on. Using 100% brain should not mean using entire brain in one task. What I was thinking that 100% of brain use would make us much much better in multi-tasking, as we would be able to stimulate multiple regions together hence could focus on many things.

    • @Cytowic
      @Cytowic 9 лет назад

      An interesting question, Manesh. But how do you propose to "apply infinite energy to the brain?" Relatively speaking, electroshock, lightning strikes, and the electric chair deliver infinite energy to the brain and destroy it. Even electrode implants first Parkinson's disease or seizure management disrupt intrinsic energy circuits; these external sources do not add energy to the nervous system.
      How, then, might you imagine overcoming the intrinsic power limitations, as well as a thermodynamic limits?
      Much research already shows that multitasking degrades performance, especially in those who believe themselves to be excellent at it. So, how do you get past this empirical finding as well as "force" multiple regions to work simultaneously? They already do, except not all at once which is the point of the brain's energy efficiency.
      Your idea has merit, and I'd like to hear how you propose implementing it in a practical way.

    • @manishgoel5720
      @manishgoel5720 9 лет назад

      ***** First of all, I would like to let you know that Human Brain is far more superior than any computer in multitasking, computers are better in doing repetitive taks. Anyway, coming back to the main question. Human brain suffer from lack of attention. We cant focus on the everything we see, we cant keep in mind everything we hear, we smell many things but we cant identify them till we actually set our attention to it, we even seize to breathe when watching something very exciting/interesting (it might be possible that it happens to me only, but "breathtaking" is a common word). Now, if we are using the entire brain simultaneously i.e. 100% brain usage, would this overcome these limitations? Would we be able to do deep thinking (analytical part of brain), swim (motor action control center) and as well as memorize what is being played on the radio?

  • @-yourandyoureare2different612
    @-yourandyoureare2different612 5 лет назад +11

    It's bald of you to assume that I use 10%
    I use -2.137%

  • @steamrangercomputing
    @steamrangercomputing 3 года назад +2

    "ATP is the coal of the bodies furnace" I think it's more accurate to say that ATP is the fire, and glucose is what keeps the fire running.

  • @Paranoidhuman
    @Paranoidhuman 4 года назад +1

    3:16 Why the firing of a tiny % of neurons in a given region at any one time would cause energy spikes over the entire brain?

  • @aeonian_harshul
    @aeonian_harshul 5 лет назад +3

    So fire (cooking) also had great influence on evolution of cranial capacity of ours

  • @newhope5729
    @newhope5729 4 года назад +4

    Did anyone else's brain switched to power saving mode when he got into some details about complex things?

  • @ikillnoobs22
    @ikillnoobs22 10 лет назад +10

    All because of Lucy...had to come down here and research myself.

  • @kaustuvdas129
    @kaustuvdas129 2 года назад

    One of the best Ted -ed...loved it

  • @ComputerCurry
    @ComputerCurry 2 года назад

    I like the inspirational message at the end!

  • @Xartab
    @Xartab 9 лет назад +11

    Interesting, but false. Not in the sense that anything he said was inherently incorrect, but misleading it was.
    One of Billy Milligan's personalities could deliberately release adrenaline in his system, for example. Some Buddhist monks can spend days in meditation, which I remind you is a different mental state, with different brainwaves. Some sadhu can breath water without choking (I'm not saying this is good for them, but they can if they want) and some yogi can spend years with a raised arm. Kim Peek can read two pages of a book in five seconds, one page with the left eye and one with the right one, and he has memorized 12000 books. Stephen Wiltshire can see a whole city once and redraw it perfectly. Daniel Tammet taught himself Icelandic in one week on a dare, and was then interviewed on his _other_ excellent abilities in this language.
    People with eidetic memory remember everything they give attention to. People with the absolute pitch have the ability to identify the exact frequency of a note just by listening to it.
    We could be using 100% of our _neurons_, but don't you come and tell me we use all of our brain potential.

    • @TehVx
      @TehVx 8 лет назад

      Because someone has a special ability or a talent does not mean they are somehow accessing a different part of the brain? Our brain is made up of sections dedicated to different areas of life therefore Kim peeks brain happens to have a better recollection capacity than ours, does not mean that cannot be trained or it must be some innate intelligence hiding in our brain

    • @Xartab
      @Xartab 8 лет назад +1

      jon carna Actually, that is _exactly_ what it means. Giving that there are some brain skills that we don't use, the implication is that we use less than 100% of our brain _potential_. We don't need to use 100% of our brain _tissue_ to get more out of it than we do now.
      So, while the video was factually correct, it was misleading, because we do use less that 100% of what our brain can do. Maybe not 10%, but that's another matter.

    • @gretawilliams8799
      @gretawilliams8799 7 лет назад

      Batrax you should learn uncertainties sunny...

  • @Aesperity
    @Aesperity 8 лет назад +63

    Soo, Um, What percentage of our brain do we use?

    • @Aesperity
      @Aesperity 8 лет назад +2

      Ah, Okay.

    • @Thetruthiscosmic
      @Thetruthiscosmic 8 лет назад +32

      100% Otherwise, it means you are brain dead. It's just that we don't use 100% of that 100% to think, to recall memories, to learn, etc., instead most of that percentage is used to (subconsciously) control even the littlest of body functions such as blinking and the largest such as breathing. Whether you think about it or not (you can hold your breath, therefore you can control your breathing) you don't have to think about it every time you inhale and exhale, your brain is already doing that for you.

    • @Aesperity
      @Aesperity 8 лет назад +28

      I just made this comment because ted-ed usually makes videos with questions as their titles but never tells us the answer, Anyway. Thanks for the effort. :)

    • @Thetruthiscosmic
      @Thetruthiscosmic 8 лет назад +11

      Freakz Yes, this is definitely one of those where they don't actually answer the title question.

    • @abusalehmasud2183
      @abusalehmasud2183 8 лет назад +9

      +DQBO False. The video at around 4:10 plus or minus a couple of seconds, says that for maximum efficiency, we use about 1-16% at any given moment.

  • @shiningemeralds8024
    @shiningemeralds8024 5 лет назад +3

    2:55 34 quintillion ATP atoms*

  • @vangogh2486
    @vangogh2486 2 года назад

    4:49 when the non-motivational video gives you the best motivational speech. Love science

  • @NMA_NoMoreAmmo
    @NMA_NoMoreAmmo Месяц назад

    The brain is not only a processor, it is also a memory device. It should be raphrased: 10% we can use for personal computation like decision making or control of the body, and 90% is for maintenance of your body ( like visuals, hearing, balance, sensations, memory, healing, and other involuntary functions keeping us alive). Simples.

  • @mircea1220
    @mircea1220 10 лет назад +12

    thank you for this lesson, now we can all let our teachers know the truth :)

  • @KalindaKhan
    @KalindaKhan 10 лет назад +32

    "No scientific research is available to accurately measure how
    much of our brain we actually use. However, most psychologists and
    learning specialists believe that we all have far more mental ability than
    we actually tap."

  • @panda_bear3209
    @panda_bear3209 5 лет назад +4

    Whenever I watch these videos I always imagine my brain lighting up lol

  • @nvm262
    @nvm262 4 года назад +1

    Ted ed: Your brain is already smart
    Me during examinations: I highly doubt it

  • @Larry21924
    @Larry21924 10 месяцев назад

    Engaging and eloquently delivered; akin to a book that was both engaging and eloquently written. "Unlocking the Brain's Full Potential" by Alexander Sterling

  • @ZER0--
    @ZER0-- 5 лет назад +15

    I can multitask. I can walk, breath, see, hear, all at the same time. I could go on.

    • @kohl5247
      @kohl5247 3 года назад

      super beings 😂

  • @raggedyexynos6826
    @raggedyexynos6826 7 лет назад +7

    Now do a video about why some people fail in math, is there something wrong with their brain? I want scientific explanation!

  • @thepokigur
    @thepokigur 10 лет назад +4

    this video got me motivated

  • @alexadoherty4072
    @alexadoherty4072 4 года назад +1

    2:00
    Ted Ed guy: the dense packing of neurons is what makes us so smart
    Me: *watching my sister pull a door that says push* yeah okay

  • @Peter_1986
    @Peter_1986 Год назад

    We use the whole brain _in parts for different purposes_ - it would be an insane waste of energy to use the entire brain at maximum power for every single activity, and this would also contradict the fact that different parts of the brain are used for different purposes. For example, your auditory cortex will not fire up nearly as much as the cerebellum when you try to balance on a tightrope.

  • @KO_Manic
    @KO_Manic 3 года назад +2

    People who put the milk first before the cereal: 0%

  • @jasminm984
    @jasminm984 4 года назад +15

    I always thought 10% is meant by how little potential of our brain we actually use and not that we phisically use only 10%.

    • @thegonzoeffect2792
      @thegonzoeffect2792 2 года назад

      Thats what I used to think. We use 100% of our brain at 10% potential. My brain understood what you meant lol.

  • @JaySee5
    @JaySee5 10 лет назад +22

    So do people on a raw food diet become dumber?

    • @JakeCakeful
      @JakeCakeful 10 лет назад +7

      Only over million of years of evolution IF there was still survival-of-the-fittest/smartest evolution, which clearly is not the case as the hungry/stupid/poor gets the most children.

    • @enduraman1
      @enduraman1 10 лет назад

      This question is not answered in this video.

    • @tarcal87
      @tarcal87 10 лет назад

      Jacob Kofoed
      Well said :) I have similar mentality (that evolution has kind of stopped for us) and have rarely seen a similar-thinking person so far

    • @themasstermwahahahah
      @themasstermwahahahah 10 лет назад +1

      Based on the video, no, raw food just gives less energy, meaning you just need more of it to equal the energy received from the cooked food.

    • @JaySee5
      @JaySee5 10 лет назад

      omegadan
      Right, so you have to eat more raw food than cooked, but there is a limit to how much you can eat, thus a person on a raw food diet might be too full to get as much nutrition as someone eating cooked food.

  • @justcarious
    @justcarious 6 лет назад

    Can i find the written form of that? And where is possible

  • @주호풍펄쩍맨
    @주호풍펄쩍맨 2 года назад

    정말 유익하고 좋은 영상 고맙습니다. Thank you~

  • @funkingcustoms2408
    @funkingcustoms2408 3 года назад +3

    Reading through the comments section:
    *Yer, I don't think many of these people are capable of using 2%*

  • @soapymarshmallow
    @soapymarshmallow 9 лет назад +12

    2:10 I NEED A GIF OF THIS

    • @SkkyKiddx
      @SkkyKiddx 9 лет назад +5

      +Sophie Nave Your Welcome
      postimg.org/image/5mi72c6gn/

    • @soapymarshmallow
      @soapymarshmallow 9 лет назад

      SkkyKidd Thanks! Now I have a new banner!

    • @SkkyKiddx
      @SkkyKiddx 9 лет назад

      +Sophie Nave here is the bigger version so you can use it for your banner.
      postimg.org/image/diz3axi01/09b17e1e/

    • @soapymarshmallow
      @soapymarshmallow 9 лет назад +1

      SkkyKidd Yay! :3

    • @roseanwoolery5512
      @roseanwoolery5512 8 лет назад +1

      +Sophie Nave for 9gag?

  • @patman0250
    @patman0250 10 лет назад +4

    soo where's the part that gives you super powers ??

    • @lorddarkseid9445
      @lorddarkseid9445 10 лет назад +3

      In holly wood along with the part of future wear flip phones come back (star trek)

  • @koushikkay9431
    @koushikkay9431 3 года назад +1

    At 5:08
    All the words appered are if added (acc to their place in alphabets) will give a sum of 1159
    Idid the math😐

  • @bingesquad1
    @bingesquad1 5 лет назад +1

    There is a difference between using 100% capacity/saturation and 100% area of the brain. I agree we use 100% AREA of our brain in multiple sectors throughout our day, and not all at once. But do you think we use 100% CAPACITY of even one sector of our brain? If yes, Why can't we all be born ambidextrous, writing with both hands etc? Why are brain activities (capacity of utilising it) on any region varying person to person?
    So when they say we only use about 10% of our brain, I think is the capacity (how capable we are) or the saturation of any region of the brain. Otherwise, we all would have had the same level of maxed-out brain activities in every area, ie Everyone equally smart, Everyone ambidextrous. I believe we certainly haven't reached the limit of brain activity a region of a person's brain could possibly do.

  • @RedxCarmine
    @RedxCarmine 4 года назад +9

    Hey brains! Just finished sending the signal to use my fingers to type this! How are your meat suits?

  • @tomorrow.
    @tomorrow. 3 года назад +11

    The 10% is not a myth. It's a fact, I know few that uses 10% or less when situation demands. I call them friends 😂😂

  • @KostadinKody
    @KostadinKody 10 лет назад +11

    So the real way to bring down that body fat is to hit the books or just exercise your brain!

  • @naveenkumar.a.s.
    @naveenkumar.a.s. 4 года назад

    Would you do a video on how to increase efficiency of our brain ?

  • @russpink4185
    @russpink4185 5 лет назад

    Um just to let you know, we have been multitasking ever since we started school. So I’m pretty sure our brains have changed to help us more with multitasking.. since we do it on a daily basis. When we started school to when we finished school an had to go directly to work an have a family at the same time or school, work, an a family. So multitasking is something we had to adapt to or we wouldn’t survive

  • @lastshadow2542
    @lastshadow2542 8 лет назад +26

    I never believed this cuz I was never told.

    • @lastshadow2542
      @lastshadow2542 8 лет назад +8

      I only heard it from movie ads of "Lucy"