How much of our brain?

Another mystery hidden within our crinkled cortices is that out of all the brain's cells, only 10 percent are neurons; the other 90 percent are glial cells, which encapsulate and support neurons, but whose function remains largely unknown. read more

One common brain imaging technique, called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), can measure activity in the brain while a person is performing different tasks. Using this and similar methods, researchers show that most of our brain is in use most of the time, even when a person is performing a very simple action. read more

The brain regulates everything from our heart rate and our senses to our dreams and emotions - so the brain is kept very busy. "We use different parts of our brains in different ways when we do different things, but there are no parts of the brain sitting there unused," Dr Chudler told Fact Check. read more