The Mythical Brain: Is the Science of Movie Lucy Wrong?

Abstract

The movie Lucy explores the idea that we use only 10% of our brains which, according to an editorial in Nature Neuroscience, is wrong. However, we may reframe the myth to reveal the underlying meaning: it is not about using just 10% of the brain, but about perceiving only a very small fraction of what the brain is doing. If we will, we can stop our usual, daily routine activities, or our usual day dreaming, and immediately we start noticing more. The alternative interpretation to Lucy is that the movie is not about the brain, but about consciousness. Change the metaphor and you get a totally different meaning.