1. Psychwrite #15:
Date: 1 pt
Copy Question: 1 pt
Answer in 3-5 lines: 3 pts
Construct a logical hypothesis/conclusion of what this myth truly means: “Most people only use 10% of their brain power.”

2. Reflection:
About what percentage of their potential brain power do you think most people use?
*Take out your devices. Type this question into a text, tweet, post, etc.
*Mark the first three answers/responses you get on the board.
College students:
1/3 of Psych majors said 10%

3. Estimated Time Schedule – Plan Ahead!
Thurs/Friday: Myth #5 Notes
Brain Caps
Mon/Tuesday: Brain Superheroes
Wed/Thurs: Brain Surgery
Extra Credit & Skinner Bucks DUE
Fri/Monday: Brain Game/Review
Tues/Wed: Brain Test
Skinner Bucks DUE
Term Cut-off
Brain Games
*No Missing work will be accepted after next Friday! New Skinner Bucks will be passed out for the new term.

4. Myth #5: Most People Only Use 10% of Their Brains
Brain & Behavior

5. Reflection

6. 1. Where Does This Myth Come From?
Word of mouth
Who started this myth?

7. a. William James, 1908
"We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources." (from The Energies of Men, p. 12).

8. b. Albert Einstein
“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”

9. c. Karl Lashley
Removed large areas of cerebral cortex in rats; Animals could still relearn tasks.
Lashley removed large areas of the cerebral cortex in rats and found that these animals could still relearn specific tasks.

10. d. Uri Geller, Spoon “Magic”
“Mind Power” Claimed he was using the untapped power of mind.

11. Common Belief Persists

12. What Does Research Tell Us?
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that we use only 10% of our brains.

13. 2. What are people trying to get at with this 10%?
INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL…not actually that you only use 10% of your brain.
Is that possible?

14. Does this mean that you would be just fine if 90% of your brain was removed? 3. The average human brain weighs… 3 pounds!

15. a. If 90% of it was removed, that would leave 0.3 lb. of brain tissue.
That's about the size of a sheep's brain.

16. What would that do to you?
Example: Wernicke’s Aphasia Left temporal lobe Understanding language “Aphasia” means “lack of..”

18. Our brains have been shaped by natural selection.
4. Brain tissue is expensive to grow & operate.
a. 2 – 3% of body weight, uses over 20% of the oxygen we breath!
Squandering of resources to build & maintain such an under used organ!

19. 5. Brain Imaging a. EEG’s: Electroencephelogram
Electrical activity on brain’s surface
b. PET: Positron Emission Topography
Activity
c. MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Detailed pictures of tissue

20. EEG: electrical activity

21. PET scan: glucose burn

22. MRI: detailed pictures

23. Results of mapping?
All areas at work…no “quiet areas” waiting for assignment. Brain regions

24. Brain Regions – Diagram #1
1. Hindbrain
2. Mid-brain
3. Forebrain

26. Hindbrain Spinal cord Medulla: breathing, heart rate, cross-over
Pons: sleep/dreams
Cerebellum: balance, coordination

27. Hindbrain
Reticular formation

28. Midbrain Reticular Activating System (RAS) Arousal: keeps you awake
Alerts the brain

30. Mid and Forebrain

31. Midbrain
Thalamus: relay center

32. Midbrain: Limbic System

33. Limbic System
Hypothalamus: eating, drinking, body temperature, sexual behavior, fight or flight; HOMEOSTASIS
Hippocampus: Memory formation
Amygdala: Anger, aggression, & fear

35. Forebrain/ Cerebral Cortex
Cerebral = higher processing
Cortex = center of
Cerebral Cortex = Center of Higher Processing
Frontal Lobes – Contains the Motor Cortex Strip
Center of: Personality/Judgment/Decisions
Parietal Lobes - Sensory Cortex Strip (for skin)
Associations/Long-term Memory
Temporal Lobes - Auditory Cortex
Facial Recognition/Long-term Memory
Occipital Lobes - Visual Cortex

36. Cortex: Lobe Divisions

41. Association Areas

42. Another Possible Cause?
Misunderstood terms in brain research
“silent cortex”
Used term to refer to the association areas in the cortex.

43. Association areas 25% of cortex devoted to specific functions
75% devoted to coordinating & integrating information

44. Review

45. Handout
Science fiction writers are always searching for good ideas for plots that will capture the interest of their readers. A common premise during one particular era of science fiction was that radiation somehow altered biological processes, transforming normal humans into super humans – some good, some evil. One example is the Incredible Hulk, who, through a laboratory experiment, developed superhuman strength that manifests itself when he is angry. Your Task: Create your own “brainy” superhero! Extra Credit: Create a super villain with an amplified brain structure as well and include the SAME information about the villain. (10 pts)

46. Superheroes