A myth (传说) is something that is not correct, but many people believe. There are a lot of myths about the human brain.
One of the biggest myths is that we only use 10 percent of our brains. The next part of the myth is that if we can learn to use the rest of our brains, we'll be much smarter. People say this all the time, but it's not true! The truth is that although we don't know everything about the human brain, we know that each part of it has an important function (功能). Modern scientists think the "10 percent myth" ridiculous (荒谬的).
The other most popular myth is about being "right brained" or "left brained". According to this myth, people who use the right side of their brains are more artistic and creative. People who use the left side of their brains are better at math and science. This is as popular as the 10 percent myth, and it's also wrong. In 2013, a study at anAmerican university examined the right brain and left brain myth. According to the study, we use both sides of our brains equally.
It's true that we use different parts of our brains for different things. We use our left side for language more, and our right side when we need to pay attention. But there is no evidence (证据) that creative people use the right side more, or that scientific people use the left side more.
We've talked about myths, so let's look at a few interesting facts about the brain. First of all, the brain feels no pain. Second, about 75 percent of the brain is made of water. It's also the fattest organ (器官) in your body. Here's one more interesting fact about the brain. Around the time you turn 18 years old, it stops growing.
