Do You Really Use Only 10 Percent Of Your Brain? Of Course Not

This Brain Myth Seems To Never Go Away

It's the neuroscience myth that just refuses to go away. No, you do not use only 10 percent of your brain. In fact, scientists say most of your brain is active all the time.

This myth about your brain has been thrust in the spotlight recently as it's the premise of the new sci-fi flick "Lucy," in which the main character (played by actress Scarlett Johansson) takes a drug that allows her to access 100 percent of her brain. Apparently doing so gives her some cool super powers.

The storyline may make for some fun movie-watching when the film releases Friday, but it's not accurate science.

"Most movies and sci-fi books have us believe that humans can only use around 10 percent of our brain, which is absolute nonsense" Mitchell Moffitt, co-creator of the popular YouTube series ASAPScience, says in a new YouTube video (just check it out above, where six other brain myths are busted).

"Thanks to modern brain scanning technology, we know that we use the whole thing all the time. Not necessarily all at once," Moffitt says, "however, there's no part of the brain that simply doesn't do anything."

After all, the brain uses around 20 percent of your body's energy, even though it only accounts for a small percentage of your whole body weight, Scientific American reported. See, your mind is way more impressive than you might have thought.

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