Percentage of Brain Used

There are many myths about the brain that may or may not be true. One myth is that humans only use about 10% of our brain. This myth was coined by Albert Einstein and since then has been scientifically proven to be false. His logic was that only one out of every 10 nerve cells are being used, thus we only use 10% of our brain. There is scientifical evidence which proves this to not be true: even if neurons are not firing action potentials, they could still be recieving signals from other neurons. The fact is if you look at a cognitive brain map, every part of the brain is used. There are many different parts of the brain which aid other parts of the brain in successfully equipping a human being. Also, there is no point in having that much space in the brain if we only use 10% of it. For an example, consider a patient who experiences a traumatic blow to the head. When they go to a doctor, the doctor tells them they have brain damage all around the brain. They don't say, "Oh, you only have brain damage in this part of your brain, but good thing that's not the 10% of your brain that you actually use." The whole brain is used in everyday life. Every part of the brain works together to form a working machine. Some say that this myth still continues due to popular media continuing to advocate this false myth.

http://www.time-etc.com/2007/06/ten-myths-about-brain.html

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html