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More or Less

WS MoreOrLess: Do We Use Only 10% of Our Brains?

More or Less

BBC

News Commentary, Science, Mathematics, News

4.63.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 September 2014

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Is it true that humans use just 10% of their brains? It’s the premise of the new film Lucy, in which the brain capacity of Scarlett Johansson’s character increases to dangerous levels. Tim Harford uses considerably more than 10% of his brain to separate the neuro-science facts from the fiction with Professor Sophie Scott. What drives the price of footballers? Tim Harford tries to understand the huge transfer fees with Raffaele Poli from the CIES Football Observatory and football agent Seb Ewen. Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Ruth Alexander This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the short edition of Morales, first broadcast on the BBC World Service.

0:06.0

Thank you for downloading from the BBC.

0:09.0

For details of our complete range of podcasts and our terms of use,

0:13.0

go to BBCWorldService.com slash podcasts.

0:19.0

Hello and welcome to More or Less on the BBC World Service.

0:23.0

I'm Tim Harford.

0:25.0

This week, how do you work out a footballer's price tag?

0:29.0

But first, I used to be just like you.

0:32.0

Till they put drugs in me, that will allow me to use 100% of my brain.

0:36.0

The new Scarlett Johansson film is out.

0:38.0

Lucy is the first human being to unlock more than 10% of her brain.

0:43.0

Her character Lucy, described there by Morgan Freeman,

0:46.0

has achieved what apparently no human before her has,

0:50.0

the ability to use more than 10% of her brain.

0:54.0

It's often said that we only use 10% of our brains.

0:57.0

Is it true?

0:58.0

Well, the simple answer is no.

1:00.0

This is Professor Sophie Scott from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience

1:04.0

at University College London in the UK.

1:07.0

There's a number of different ways you can answer the question,

1:09.0

like what do you mean by using your brain,

1:11.0

but pretty much a lot of your brain,

...

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