Modern Vocabulary: NEUROMYTH
Our brains don't necessarily understand our brains
Saturdays are perfect days for scientific surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about neuromyths today!
Science can best be understood as a systematic and evidence-based approach to understanding the natural world through observation, experimentation, and evaluation of hypotheses. As such, science can never fail us. We, however, can fail ourselves when we misinterpret or ignore logic and evidence to embrace unproven theories as fact.
One area in which misinterpretations, oversimplifications, or misquotations of scientifically established facts abound is in neuroscience, that branch of study devoted to the structure or function of the nervous system and brain. However, it wasn't until 1980 that someone—specifically, neurosurgeon Alan Crockard—coined a term to describe these ubiquitous false scientific ideas about the brain: neuromyths.
neuromyth (noun) - a popular and persistent but false belief about the brain, thinking, or learning; a misconception or misunderstanding about brain functions
BREAKDOWN: NEURO- (brain or nervous system) + MYTH- (myth, thought)
What are some common neuromyths? I spoke with education professional Gretchen Wegner on the Tests and the Rest podcast to explore and debunk the most common neuromyths.
People learn best in their particular (e.g. visual, auditory, kinesthetic) style: a prevalent neuromyth not supported by research
We only use 10% of our brains: misattributed to Einstein, based on misunderstood early brain imaging
People are either right-brained or left-brained: oversimplification of brain lateralization
Multitasking improves productivity: contrary to research on attention and task-switching costs
Do you find the concept of neuromyths as fascinating as I do? Listen to the full podcast and start spreading truths rather than myths!
“There is a neuromyth (that won’t go away!) that we only use 10 percent of our brains. It’s not actually true, but our fondness for this statistic belies the scientific truth that the potential to grow and change our brain and how it directs our lives is far greater than we have been led to believe.” ―Tara Swart
I don't know if this qualifies but I have this belief that sleeping is a great a waste of time. I know it sounds ridiculous but I am afraid of missing out of things I could have done had I not slept.