This is an urban myth: scans show that most of the brain is active even when we’re not doing much. It’s true that brains are adaptable, and we have huge potential to learn new skills, but this happens mostly via the formation of new connections and networks in the brain, not through the activation of previously idle areas.
The brain is a huge energy-guzzler, and it wouldn’t make sense for us to have evolved to use a fraction of such a costly organ.
Read more:
- Where does our sense of direction come from within the brain?
- Is the brain of a genius heavier than an average brain?
- What does being bilingual do to the brain?
- Does experience change the actual structure of the brain?
