Instant Genius Busting the biggest myths in neuroscience
Sep 11, 2025
Join neuroscientist Dean Burnett, a best-selling author and BBC Science Focus contributor, as he tackles brain myths with wit and wisdom. Discover the truth about the folklore that we only use 10% of our brains and learn how the left-brain/right-brain divide is a simplification of our complex cognition. Burnett also sheds light on the inaccuracies of polygraph tests for detecting lies and critiques personality tests like Myers-Briggs for their scientific shortcomings, all while reflecting on happiness and memory in midlife.
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We Use Far More Than 10% Of The Brain
- We use essentially all of our brain; unused large, energy-hungry tissue would be evolutionary waste.
- The brain always has baseline activity, though only a small portion can be highly amplified at once.
Left/Right Brain Is An Oversimplification
- Hemispheric differences exist but are crude generalisations rather than strict personality labels.
- Left/right tendencies are context-dependent and vary by task and person.
Polygraphs Detect Stress, Not Lies
- Polygraphs measure autonomic arousal, not deception, so many non‑lying factors can trigger them.
- Their results are unreliable in high-stakes settings and inadmissible in many courts.
