Near Ascension and the 10% myth

[StargateMillennium]

Stargate's stated that people use roughly 10% of their brain and need at least 92% percent in order to ascend. Passing 10% results in the superpowers seen by ori priors and such. One big problem: the 10% usage of the brain is a myth. While scientists don't know what every part of the brain does, on an average day every part of the brain is in use to some degree. Am I misinterpreting stargate's thing about ascending? Or, will they need to find another explanation for it?

[losernerdfriend]

I've heard that too that we use all of our brain just not at the same time..

Maybe they are talking about the fact that normal humans use about 10% of their brain at a time, while people getting closer to ascending are able to access a higher percentage at the same time without overloading the brain processes.

[StargateMillennium]

I've heard that too that we use all of our brain just not at the same time..

Actually, brain scans have shown that, even while sleeping, every part of the brain is active at the same time. Some areas are more active than others but everything is active. So far, the only thing that's resulted in an inactive portion of the brain is brain injury.

[Gatefan1976]

Perhaps it comes down to being *consciously* aware of that use?

[escyos]

I think they mean as in using most of your brains capacity for thought etc, not as in the parts of the brain lighting up. The neurons in our brain are pretty awesome but we do only use about 10% of the connections between them at any given time. Typically people more intelligent are capable of using more of these, as are people with eidetic memory, autism etc.

[garhkal]

While it might be a myth, i DO actually like it as it would explain why so many people don't have any mental powers while a few do get them.. Those who get them access more of their brain!

[tomaso88]

I could be wrong in saying this BUT!!!

If I remember correctly the only time they say something like this is season 2 of stargate the episode jack gets the knowledge downloaded to his brain, I don't think they ever say this again BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

Later on though they tend to talk about more brain waves or something being used example being in the episode frozen where they find the ancient, they talk about jacks brain waves being used more or being different but they don't mention the whole 10% mumbo jumbo again.



PS. in the episode jack gets his head grabbed by the repository they say something like humans use 5 to 10% of there brain or neurons or something at any given time, so yes probably a mistake but it was in stargates early stages

[StargateMillennium]

I could be wrong in saying this BUT!!!

If I remember correctly the only time they say something like this is season 2 of stargate the episode jack gets the knowledge downloaded to his brain, I don't think they ever say this again BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

Later on though they tend to talk about more brain waves or something being used example being in the episode frozen where they find the ancient, they talk about jacks brain waves being used more or being different but they don't mention the whole 10% mumbo jumbo again.



PS. in the episode jack gets his head grabbed by the repository they say something like humans use 5 to 10% of there brain or neurons or something at any given time, so yes probably a mistake but it was in stargates early stages

Actually I think i was the the wrong one here. I just rewatched the episodes talking it. They didn't say 10% usage but "10% of its maximum functional capacity". Basically saying how much of the brain is the most active instead of how much of the brain actually is active. They say you get powers when all the portions of the brain begin to rise in neural activity. This might also be a myth but I can't say for sure. All I know is that people don't only 10% percent of the brain at any given time.

[Aesop]

The problem with the 10% myth is that I think it misleads people to only consider cognition, forgetting that a significant portion of the brain is responsible for basic motor functions, respiratory functions, etc. So maybe cognitively we use less than 100%, but the difference is being used for other functions.

[garhkal]

Yup. So while maybe 98% is in use, only 10% or so is actively being used for things like thinking, deductive reasoning etc.. The rest is for motor functions, and discerning the inputs of the senses.

[SelmakCarter]

The whole 10% thing came from an old study (40+ years at this point) featuring spectacularly bad science. Hollywood latched onto the so-called "results" (or the idea of exceeding them) as a convenient explanation for all sorts of advanced cognition, mental powers, etc. Thus, the shoddy science was propagated & perpetuated as cultural myth, particularly in science fiction television, where nearly every series since has at least one episode which employs this faulty premise.
It's now so prevalent that it's the sort of thing I try to just take in stride, accept as a writer's device, forgive the series at large, and move on. However, my truth-seeking nature and innate preference for accuracy will generally force me to point out such errors to any viewing partners present. I guess in part that's my own little way of fighting those myths & misconceptions in minds more likely to be worth such effort.


@escyos:

The neurons in our brain are pretty awesome but we do only use about 10% of the connections between them at any given time.

This seems suspiciously like a case of the myth influencing one's ideas... Can you point us to a credible source to substantiate that assertion?

[HogWldFLTR]

Here's a link to Scientific American on the subject.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-their-brains/