IUBio

Brian Capacity

Matt Jones jonesmat at ohsu.edu
Fri May 21 12:02:57 EST 1999


In article <7i4285$sge$1 at news5.svr.pol.co.uk> Simon Marsh,
simonmarsh at tardis99.freeserve.co.uk writes:
>Some neuroscientests estimate that during an average lifespan, a person uses
>only 1/100 of 1% (.0001) of his potentional brain capacity. - Why do we
>have a brain with so much capacity that we hardly test a fraction of it in a
>normal life time?

It all has to do with thermoregulation. Having a big brain at the top of
the body, with an elaborate vasculature and a high surface to volume
ratio. The Greeks new thousands of years ago what the brain is for:

It cools the blood.

Matt Jones



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