7 (and a half) myths about your brain

7 (and a half) myths about your brain

In the 19th Century, serious physicists believed that the Universe was filled with an imaginary substance called luminiferous ether, and doctors believed that illnesses were caused by smelly vapours called miasmas. Both of these scientific myths survived for over one hundred years until they were vanquished by evidence.

Myth #1: You have a lizard in your head

The idea that your mind is a battleground between passion and reason goes all the way back to Ancient Greece

Myth #7½: You can’t grow new brain cells

This is partly true, but only in the hippocampus, which is important for learning, remembering, regulating how much you eat, and other biological functions.

Myth #2: The left side of your brain is logical and the right side is creative

Pretty much every action you take and every experience you have is computed by neurons distributed across your whole brain.

Mirror neurons are special cells that create empathy

In reality, they are just everyday neurons engaged in ordinary, miraculous prediction

Myth #3: Cortisol is a stress hormone, and serotonin is a happiness hormone

No hormone has just one specific psychological purpose, and all the chemicals that help create your mind work in concert

Your brain stores memories

Your brain reconstructs your memories on demand with electricity and chemicals

Myth #4: Your eyes see, your ears hear, and your skin feels

All of your sensations are computed in your brain, not detected in the world by your sense organs.

Your brain reacts to events in the world

Your brain is constantly guessing what might happen in the next moment, and comparing its guesses to the sense data it receives from the outside world and inside your body.

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