In article <3771E137.DDE209DC at phys.chem.msu.ru>, TIY at phys.chem.msu.ru
(Ivan Torshin) wrote:
> F. Frank LeFever wrote:
> >
> > In <7i42bi$sij$1 at news5.svr.pol.co.uk> "Simon Marsh"
> > <simonmarsh at tardis99.freeserve.co.uk> writes:
> > >
> > >As humans only use 1/100 of 1 percent (.0001) of out potential brain
> > >capacity how does this compare to other animals?
> > >
> > >
Humans do not use 1/1000 of 1 percent of their "brain potential" nor is
the commonly quoted 10% based on any relevant facts, it is some number
cooked up by engineers or metabolic biologists who do not vaguely
understand how the brain works.
The typical computation is metabolic, e.g., the brain is using 10% of its
metabolic capacity, so in theory (only a moron would have this theory
however) you could crank the metabolic capacity up to 100% and be smarter.
Of course, the only time this actually happens is during a grand mal
seizure (even then it is nowhere near 100%) or during poisoning by domoic
acid or NMDA (maybe then you could drive it up to 100% if you ate about
200 bad oysters). So the idea is stupid, it's like saying, if I was
driving a car capable of 200 mph and I was driving it at 20 mph I am only
using 10% of the car's engine. In fact, all of the cars systems are fully
engaged when driving at 20 mph.
Likewise, the assumption is also based on the idea that any part of the
brain can do anything, which isn't true at all, the brain is broken into
many subsystems which are specialized for certain functions. For example,
something like half of the cortex is dedicated to processing vision. And
a large component (the bulk of the frontal lobe) to movement. And 90% of
the rest to other sensory functions. Subcortical mechanisms are even more
specialized, but, for example, if you are not puking you are not using the
puke center of your brain. But using it would not make you any smarter.
Just like turning on your stereo in your car does not make it go faster.
The stereo is a specialized subsystem that only has to do with generating
music, likewise, the brain has many specialized systems which would not be
engaged unless they are required.
So if you are just walking around, talking, and looking at something at
the same time you are using arguably the bulk of the brain's capacity.
And these functions are not trivial. For example, it is not possible even
with the most sophisticated computers to identify and track a single
object as accurately and easily as your visual system does.
So with respect to other animals, they also use all of their brain.
Stephan