- Woo, today's video's really gonna make you think.
Probably because it's actually about thinking
and your own brain.
You get the idea.
Doctors and scientists are still unlocking
the mysteries of the brain
but in the meantime many stories have been formed
without basis about it.
So in this video, I'm going to be taking seven
of the most commonly believed myths
that you likely still believe about the brain
and explain the truth behind them.
Today we're going to be reaching deep into your mind,
promise, it won't be as weird as it sounds,
and squash some myths that you might still believe about it.
This is Seven Myths You Still Believe About the Brain.
The myth that we only use 10% of our brains.
Originating in the early 1900s
from American psychologist William James,
this myth that everybody's heard says
that we only use 10% of our brains
often going on to say that if we could use more than 10%
we would possess incredible mental abilities
far beyond any human's limitations.
The myth gained popularity due to famous geniuses
like Albert Einstein and Margaret Mead talking about it
which means that the fact that it's a lie
is truly surprising.
Now while it's true that some areas of the brain
are more active than others at certain times,
we can actually become disabled
when we damage just a tiny part of it.
Furthermore, head CT's and other brain scanning devices
have proven that unless damaged there is no time
when any one part of the brain is not functioning at all.
Thus scientists have concluded
that there's no secret extra potential up there.
The myth that your mind can be controlled
through subliminal messages.
James Vickery, a market researcher,
first coined the term subliminal message in 1957
saying that he influenced viewers of a movie
to buy concessions.
He embedded a message that displayed
for 1/3000th of a second in the film
and revealed that sales of Coca Cola increased
by 18% while sales in popcorn increased 57%.
However, not only did Vickery lie about those results
but a number of experiments conducted after his
concluded subliminal messages do not work
in regards to influencing behavior.
If that was true, YouTube would be a lot easier.
So if you're worried that you bought those Nike shoes
because they brainwashed you, think again.
Besides, if we're not consciously aware of the stimulus
it's considered superliminal, not subliminal.
The myth that babies get smarter
if they listen to Mozart.
Oh, did your mama play Mozart
for you when you were in her stomach?
Oh look at how smart you are.
It has nothing to do with it.
Have you ever seen a pregnant woman
with headphones on her stomach?
Or sitting in a room with classical music
turned all the way up to loud?
The rumor has spread over the last several decades
that listening to Mozart or other classical pieces
can increase potential in developing minds
including while that mind is still in the mother's womb.
The notion actually started back in the 1950s
from an ear, throat, and nose doctor
named Albert Tomatis who used Mozart's music
to help combat speech and auditory disorders.
However, multiple modern day studies have failed
to recreate the same outcome
leading to the original experiment's founders
to go back on their results claiming
that they never said that
it would make the subject smarter at all.
Backpedaling (coughs).
Sorry, it's a cough I got.
The myth that left-brained people
and right-brained people are different.
You've likely heard about how logical
and rational left-brained people are
or perhaps how artistic
and creative right-brained people are.
You may have even thought long and hard
about which side you might be.
Well, I'm here to tell you that technically you're both.
See, we actually use both hemispheres of our brains
for every cognitive function.
This whole myth stemmed from data
that psychologists have used to determine differences
in personality types in addition to the fact
that there were some people who process emotional expression
more in the right of the brain
and process language more in the left.
However, images captured of the brain reveal logic
and creativity both use the whole thing,
not just one side.
The myth that you can get amnesia
from a hit to the head.
What were we talking about again?
This one is straight out of dramatic movies and TV shows.
You know the plot device.
A character takes a big crack on the noggin
and suddenly can't even remember their name
or any detail of their lives outside of,
ironically, the use of the English language.
But the question is, can this happen in real life?
Well, according to multiple neurologists
and researchers in the field of neuroscience,
while a concussive blow to the head
can cause a form of amnesia
that temporarily blocks the formation of new memories,
there has never been a case
nor is there any proof of such a condition
rendering the patient unable to remember
anything about themselves.
That memory wipe version of amnesia
is called a hysterical amnesia
and it is caused by the mind
being unable to deal with the emotional traumatic event.
The myth that all brain damage is permanent.
Whenever we hear someone has brain damage,
we tend to assume the worst.
Oh, they're never going to wake up again
and if they do they'll suffer
from severe mental disabilities
for the rest of their lives!
But even though brain damage is
an incredibly terrifying condition,
it doesn't necessarily mean it's irreversible.
For instance, a concussion is actually a form
of brain damage and people come back from them all the time.
See, it all comes down to the type
and severity of the damage done.
While some people go their whole lives
without realizing they even had brain damage,
others suffer horrific consequences
and sadly don't come back from it.
So if you got a bump on the noggin, don't worry.
It's not the end of the world, I promise you.
The myth that alcohol kills brain cells.
Oh yeah, we've all heard this one,
especially if you've ever gone out on the weekend
and feel a little slow the next day.
We're all likely aware of the affects of alcohol
either personally or by witnessing them,
but is the famous line that mothers everywhere
use to try to thwart their offspring
from drinking true?
Does alcohol actually kill brain cells?
Well, if you're watching this, drum roll!
(drum roll)
You probably figured it out already.
As it turns out, even with binge drinking
or alcoholism, there's never been a case
in which brain cells have died.
According to Roberta J. Pentney, a professor of anatomy
and cell biology at the University of Buffalo,
while excessive drinking can cause damage
to the ends of our neurons in our heads,
the cell itself isn't damaged.
Only communication between the cells is affected
and that is mostly reversible
and you know exactly what that's about
with the communication problem.
You know, have a little too many drinks.
Hey, I have a problem talking.
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Bye bye.