Great Myths of the Brain

Great Myths of the Brain introduces readers to the field of neuroscience by examining popular myths about the human brain.* Explores commonly-held myths of the brain through the lens of scientific research, backing up claims with studies and other evidence from the literature* Looks at enduring myths such as "Do we only use 10% of our brain?", "Pregnant women lose their mind", "Right-brained people are more creative" and many more.* Delves into myths relating to specific brain disorders, including epilepsy, autism, dementia, and others* Written engagingly and accessibly for students and lay readers alike, providing a unique introduction to the study of the brain* Teaches readers how to spot neuro hype and neuro-nonsense claims in the media

Acknowledgments xiiIntroduction 11 Defunct Myths 15#1 Thought Resides in the Heart 15#2 The Brain Pumps Animal Spirits Round the Body 18#3 Brain Cells Join Together Forming a Huge Nerve Net 21#4 Mental Function Resides in the Brain's Hollows 222 Myth-Based Brain Practices 25#5 Drilling a Hole in the Skull Releases Evil Spirits 25#6 Personality Can Be Read in the Bumps on the Skull 28#7 Mental Illness Can Be Cured by Disconnecting the Frontal Lobes 303 Mythical Case Studies 37#8 Brain Injury Turned Neuroscience's Most Famous Case into an Impulsive Brute 37#9 The Faculty of Language Production Is Distributed Through the Brain 40#10 Memory Is Distributed Throughout the Entire Cortex 454 The Immortal Myths 51#11 We Only Use Ten Percent of Our Brains 51#12 Right-Brained People Are More Creative 55#13 The Female Brain Is More Balanced (and Other Gender-Based Brain Myths) 65#14 Adults Can't Grow New Brain Cells 74#15 There's a God Spot in the Brain (and Other Lesser-Spotted Myths) 80#16 Pregnant Women Lose Their Minds 87#17 We All Need Eight Hours of Continuous Sleep (and Other Dozy Sleep Myths) 92#18 The Brain Is a Computer 101#19 The Mind Can Exist Outside of the Brain 106#20 Neuroscience Is Transforming Human Self-Understanding 1155 Myths about the Physical Structure of the Brain 135#21 The Brain Is Well Designed 135#22 The Bigger the Brain, the Better 140#23 You Have a Grandmother Cell 146#24 Glial Cells Are Little More Than Brain Glue 149#25 Mirror Neurons Make Us Human (and Broken Mirror Neurons Cause Autism) 154#26 The Disembodied Brain 1606 Technology and Food Myths 177#27 Brain Scans Can Read Your Mind 177#28 Neurofeedback Will Bring You Bliss and Enlightenment 192#29 Brain Training Will Make You Smart 201#30 Brain Food Will Make You Even Smarter 209#31 Google Will Make You Stupid, Mad, or Both 2177 Brain Myths Concerning Perception and Action 235#32 The Brain Receives Information from Five Separate Senses 235#33 The Brain Perceives the World As It Is 242#34 The Brain's Representation of the Body Is Accurate and Stable 2498 Myths about Brain Disorder and Illness 258#35 Brain Injury and Concussion Myths 258#36 Amnesia Myths 265#37 Coma Myths 273#38 Epilepsy Myths 280#39 Autism Myths 286#40 Dementia Myths 294#41 The Chemical Imbalance Myth of Mental Illness 300Afterword 316Index 318