Scientists have long been trying to find out how many percent the human brain works. These searches have repeatedly led to all kinds of misconceptions and false theories. Some researchers claim that a person uses the brain for only one percent of the available potential, while others give 15-20 percent. Ordinary people begin to object and note that their brain works everywhere and always, providing breathing, a heart rate, and much more. Of course it is. But, speaking of how much percent the human brain works , scientists imply hidden opportunities and intellectual potential.
A bit of anatomy
The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, which, in turn, are represented by two types of cells: neurons and gliocytes. Neurons act as the main carriers of information, receive input signals through dendrites resembling tree branches, and send output signals along axons similar to cables. Each neuron includes up to ten thousand dendrites and just one axon. But axons can be a thousand times longer than the neurons themselves: up to four and a half meters. The areas where dendrites and axons come into contact are called synapses. This is something like toggle switches connecting neurons and transforming the brain into a single network. It is at the synapses that electrical impulses are transformed into chemical signals.
Glyocytes are human brain cells that serve as a skeleton structure; they play the role of cleaners, eliminate dead neurons. In total, there are fifty times more gliocytes than neurons. The features of the human brain are such that up to two hundred billion neurons, five million kilometers of axons, one quadrillion synapses are simultaneously present in it. The number of options for the exchange of information exceeds the content of atoms in the universe. Indeed, the potential is unlimited. Why then do we only engage the brain to such a small degree? Let's try to figure it out.
Load level
We give an example. Suppose a graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics and a thirty-year-old alcoholic were given the same task: to multiply 63 by 58. The action is quite simple, but which of them will have to use a larger percentage of the brain to carry it out? No wonder that the second. And why? Because the mathematician is smarter? Not at all. It's just that he is more trained in this matter, and to solve the example he needs a much smaller load. However, initially, both one and the second person have approximately equal opportunities . And the number of neurons in them is also about the same. The difference is only in the number of relationships between them, but, as you know, broken connections can be restored and even acquire new ones. Therefore, the alcoholic certainly has opportunities for intellectual growth.
Experiments on monkeys
Michael Mesernich, a university professor from San Francisco who is interested in how much the human brain works at, performed several experiments on monkeys. He put animals in cages, and outside them he placed containers with bananas. While primates tried to get fruits, Mesernich took computer images of their brain. He found that as the skills of the monkeys developed, the area of the part of the brain that provided the task increased. As soon as the animals were able to fully master the technique and easily extract the bananas, the considered area of the brain acquired its former size. Thus, the neuron connections were strengthened, and the reactions began to proceed without any effort, automatically. And this immediately opened up potential for even greater growth.
Extreme situations
How much percent of the brain does a person use in an extreme situation? No one will tell you the exact number, but it is known that in this case the speed of perception is growing at a fantastic rate. Some survivors of the disaster noted that they felt at the moment of danger that time seemed to stop, and this gave them the opportunity to maneuver. It would be nice if such an ability was inherent in us in everyday life, and not only during a period of severe shock. But is it possible? If possible, it is extremely dangerous. Just imagine how much energy the brain needs in this state!
Mystic abilities
There are people who, with the power of thought, move objects, rotate hands on their watches, scatter laser beams and the like. Surely many have heard of such magicians and sorcerers. Are they superhumans or hoaxers? Or maybe each of us has such abilities, they just doze off? Perhaps nature deliberately limits us, keeping a margin for some unforeseen event. The important thing is not how much the human brain works, but how we spend intelligence. The more intelligent people are, the more they strive to satisfy their selfish needs. So, Hitler was a very gifted person, but what came of it? A sea of tears, oceans of blood. Let us cite an example of other geniuses: Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci. In their life they have achieved a lot, but it is known that they were greedy, selfish and power-hungry. They would give power to one of them, perhaps the consequences would be the same.
How many percent of the brain does a person use?
If people do not change internally, do not grow spiritually, then they cannot use their hidden abilities. So still, what percentage of the brain does a person use? To satisfy animal instincts, three percent is enough for us. To be able to provide themselves with food - two more. Five percent is enough for the formation of communication skills , the same amount is required for the learning process. That’s all, in general! Dark storerooms of the brain can open before us only if we strive for more, engage in the development of cognitive abilities, solve logical problems and puzzles, learn the world and improve ourselves as a person.
How the brain works
The number of neurons in the brain of a newborn baby is greater than in an adult. However, between the cells there are still almost no connections, so the baby can not correctly use his brain. Initially, the newborn almost does not hear and does not see. Even if retinal neurons feel light, they cannot transmit information to the cerebral cortex, because they have not yet formed connections with other neurons. That is, the eyes see the light, but the brain does not perceive it. Gradually the necessary connections are formed, the part of the brain interacting with vision activates the work, as a result, the child begins to see light, then the silhouettes of objects, colors, shades, and so on. But most surprisingly, such relationships can only form in childhood.
Skills development
Say, when a child could not see anything at an early age due to congenital cataract, then even if he is operated on in his adult state, he will still be blind. This is confirmed by cruel experiments conducted on kittens. Their eyes were sutured when they were just born, and the stitches were removed in adulthood. Despite the fact that the animals' eyes were healthy and saw the light, they remained blind. The same applies to hearing and to a certain extent to other abilities: touch, taste, smell, speech, reading, orientation in space and so on. A great example is the Mowgli children raised by animals in the forest. Since in childhood they did not train the ability to speak, in adulthood they will not be able to master human speech. But they can navigate in space in a way that none of the people who grew up in civilization can.
How to increase brain efficiency
From the foregoing, we can conclude that the percentage of the human brain works depends on the degree of its training. The more the brain is loaded, the more efficient it is. Moreover, in children it is more receptive and flexible, therefore it is easier for them to adapt to a new situation, for example, to master a computer program, to learn a foreign language. By the way, you never know how the skill acquired in childhood will manifest itself. For example, a person who, as a child, was engaged in modeling, drawing, knitting, any kind of needlework and thereby trained fine motor skills of hands, has every chance of becoming an excellent surgeon and easily perform accurate, filigree operations in which any incorrect movement may lead to failure. That's why the brain should be trained from childhood. And then any great discoveries will be able to!