PSYCHOLOGY

Neuromyths: Exploring the most infamous rumours about the brain 🧠

The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body, so it makes sense that there are a huge number of myths surrounding how it truly works. With the rise of social media and the influence of pop culture enabling the spread of misinformation, it comes as no surprise that neuromyths can become very easily ingrained in our collective conscience. So, for this psychology scoop, we’re going to explore the most infamous rumours about the brain in order to conclude, once and for all, whether these are fact or fiction!

💡 Things to consider

• How much of the brain do we really use?: It’s almost impossible to have not heard the claim that we only use 10% of our brains. Despite the wealth of research and evidence which has debunked and disproven this statement, many still believe it to be true, thanks in part to films such as Lucy which have helped to popularise this urban legend by bringing it to the big screen. However, brain-scanning techniques such as fMRI have conclusively shown that the majority of the brain is always active and engaged in a task, dispelling the myth that there is still 90% of the mind that remains unlocked!

• Is there such a thing as being left or right brained?: It is highly likely that you’ve come across the saying ‘left-brained thinkers are logical whilst right-brained thinkers are creative’. You may have even attempted to assign yourself to one of these categories. But the truth is, there is no sound evidence to support this notion. Despite the many personality quizzes claiming to reveal which part of your brain you use more, psychologists have used brain imaging technology to conclude that there is no significant evidence supporting dominance of the left or right hemisphere. Whilst it is true that the different sides of the brain can be specialised and localised for specific functions, the idea that each person has a stronger side of the brain which influences their personality and cognition is simply false.

• Do all students really have learning styles?: Many students subscribe to the idea that they learn best using certain methods — these can be visual, auditory, tactile, or kinaesthetic. Although everyone certainly has a preferred learning method, there is no evidence to suggest that learning in agreement with your learning style will produce better educational outcomes. As a result, research studies, such as the one by Lethaby & Harries (2015), have concluded that there is no benefit to considering learning styles in educational contexts.

🔎 Find out more

• How much of our brain do we use?

• Are There Really Right-Brained and Left-Brained People?

• What Are Learning Styles? Should educators be using them?

• Learning styles and teacher training: are we perpetuating neuromyths? (Lethaby & Harries)

🍒 The cherry on top

• 🧌 Old Norse Literature: It's full of elves, giants, trolls, gods, deadly mistletoe and eight-legged horse babies. Anything goes in a world created from the decapitated body of a giant where a squirrel runs communications! But what was the ultimate purpose of these stories? Who wrote them? And what do they teach us about Viking culture?Check out this podcast if you’re into History or Literature!

• ♾️ Hidden Universes: How did a single sentence in Euclid's Elements, one of the oldest math books in existence, led to the discovery of new universes? Watch this YouTube video to delve into non-Euclidean geometry and learn how mathematicians spent over 2,000 years trying to prove the fifth postulate of Euclid's geometry. Great if you’re into Maths!

• 🌱 Antarctica’s Green Awakening: As the world's last untouched wilderness, Antarctica is undergoing a profound transformation. Rising temperatures are melting glaciers, revealing barren land where life once seemed impossible. A single seed, left behind by tourists years ago, is among the pioneers colonising this new frontier. Give this article a read if you’re into Natural Science and Biology.

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