Brain Myths

The Ten Percent Brain Myth

We use 100% of our brains, and they’re active even when we’re asleep. Learn more about how scientists know this and why this myth persists.

When the Myth is the Message: Neuromyths and Education

Two reports suggest that neuromyths are more pervasive in the educational community than we might think, and this may work against academic achievement. We investigate some of the most common myths, explaining their scientific origins and realities.

Left Brain vs. Right Brain

There’s a common myth that people’s personalities are tied to a dominant side of their brain. But the truth is not that simple.

Truth or Myth Flash Cards – Color

Truth or Myth Flash Cards – B/W

Right Brain, Left Brain: A Misnomer

The reality is not so simple—and a good deal more interesting. And like so much in neuroscience, far from fully understood.

Seeking the Right Answers About Right Brain-Left Brain

About 150 years ago, scientists realized that the right and left sides of our brains are different in size, anatomy, and what they do best. Nor are we all “lateralized” in the same way. That can be significant when the side of our brain we use affects how well we do things or when one side specializes, for example, in intense emotion and the other in thinking ahead. What was evolution attempting with this division of labor?