It’s often said that humans only use 10% of their brain. This idea is repeated often throughout popular culture, even by media organizations. It’s also complete nonsense.

The myth that humans only use 10% of their brain stems from a misunderstanding of research in neuroscience. Studies reported thatonly 10% of the cells in the human brain are neurons—the cellsinvolved in electrical signals that are thought to comprise thought. The other 90% are comprised of glial cells. At the time scientists didn’t know what (if anything) glial cells did, and a passage referring to the composition of neurons in relation to our over-all ‘cranial capacity’ was misunderstood and misreported by mainstream media, who transformed the findings into the message that humans are only using 10% of their brain. Research has since shown that glial cells serve supportive roles to neurons, though their exact purpose remains somewhat of a mystery. Glial cells may even store some form of memory in the brain, thus participating in thought itself.

In actuality, humans use all of their brain, and neurons aren’t the quick ticket to greater intelligence popular culture makes them out out be, either. For example, in the SciFi movie Lucy, a woman who is accidentally exposed to massive amounts of a new brain-boosting drug experiences neural growth and a massive boost in both perception and intelligence. As her brain grows new neurons and the percentage of neurons in her brain grows toward 100%, she develops all types of superpowers, until eventually morphing into a God-like entity.

It’s a nice thought that makes for a good movie, but having more neurons doesn’t necessarily translate into greater intelligence. In fact, you know who else has more neurons than you? Babies and small children. Infants are born with around 4-times as many neurons as adults, condensed into those tiny little heads, only to have their brain prune away excess neurons as they grow. This pruning seems to make the brain more efficient, thus streamlining thought. Obviously, having a higher percentage of neurons doesn’t necessarily translate into higher intelligence. If it did, it’s unlikely we’d be built to prune away neurons as we grow rather than adding more of them.

So why does this 10% myth persist? This idea is so stubbornly persistent because it speaks to the possibility of untapped potential inside all of us. Who doesn’t like the thought that there’s a genius hiding within, if only we could press the right button to bring him