Are we using our minds to their full potential?

[Underverse]

It depends on what you mean by potential. The ability to memorize everything you see isn't always a good thing. In fact I would say it is more often than not a bad thing, hence why we evolved to forget.

[Deleted]

If you want to argue semantics. We both know by your first post where you talk about someone being handicapped to the point of not being able to take care of themselves what type of handicap you're referring to.

Yeah, no. That was referring to the case of Kim Peek specifically. "Same applies to autistic people" was referring to the previously mentioned concept that superpowers are often accompanied with(or the direct result of) brain damage.

[minteK917]

Even if people consider the whole 5%-10% of our brains a myth, imo, not being able to fully control the cells we govern through our brain, and the lack of ability to fully recall events to the smallest detail (all 5 senses) regardless of when an event took place, displays a clear lack of brain control.

Our brains are more complex than a processor and yet even just going to school shows that people learn at different levels and that not all have the same abilities to recall and/or understand the concepts taught there. That, to me, is a sign of lack of control, therefore, lack of the ability to use 100% of our brains.

You should do more research before spewing none sense, theres a reason our memory are the way they are actually. Its not a lack of control at all. Memory is one of the few things we know the most about our brain, there are far more subtle things we know nothing about. We do use 100% of our brain, not at once and again its not about control, its about the brain functioning. You are aware that the brain itself takes around 20-25% of your total energy in a day in normal activities? Difference in the brain from different people is the same as other physical difference. Is having a longer nose a super power?

[Ghostpanther]

You should do more research before spewing none sense, theres a reason our memory are the way they are actually. Its not a lack of control at all. Memory is one of the few things we know the most about our brain, there are far more subtle things we know nothing about. We do use 100% of our brain, not at once and again its not about control, its about the brain functioning. You are aware that the brain itself takes around 20-25% of your total energy in a day in normal activities? Difference in the brain from different people is the same as other physical difference. Is having a longer nose a super power?

Looks like maybe you should do more research. http://www.ehow.com/how_5252886_incr...sharpness.html there are exercises which can improve mental functions, esp. important as we age. Granted, some people will be smarter than others, the same way some will be naturally stronger than some. But as in physical power, we can improve our mental capacity to do mental tasks better also.

[minteK917]

Looks like maybe you should do more research. http://www.ehow.com/how_5252886_incr...sharpness.html there are exercises which can improve mental functions, esp. important as we age. Granted, some people will be smarter than others, the same way some will be naturally stronger than some. But as in physical power, we can improve our mental capacity to do mental tasks better also.

No shit sherlock thats my point....... the brain functions exactly like the rest of our body. The difference between you and someone else is not magical super power of control. The exercise provided are to add neuron connections in your brain, its even more important as you grow older and lose neurons permanently. However the % usage of one brain has nothing to do with this. Again research before linking something thats not even in context with the idiocy i quoted. No you wont achieve magical perfect memory with training, again there is a reason for that fact.

Fun fact the number of neurons or connections are not even linked to how smart someone is. Theres more going on in there, but its not magic thats unlocked via meditation magic.

[Kellhound]

Most people can arguably be considered to not use their minds at all, so, not even close.

[madmanx]

Unfortunately yes.

Despite many attempts to make us seem divine, super human or telekinetic we already operate at 100% with 99 of those being constantly occupied by sex and ice-cream.

That some guy can memorize entire pages out of random books and then do absolutely nothing with that information is....less than impressive. A camera can do the same thing.

[Varabently]

Certainly genes play a big role in how much we can remember, since genetic mutations such as the one you linked show.

I think what we have to ask ourselves is does that really matter when we talk about genetic "fitness." Does being able to memorize a book very quickly make you more likely to find a mate and create more offspring? I would say probably not in our current culture. A handsome guy who can cover his tracks well is much more likely to generate more genetic offspring than a guy who can read REALLY fast.

So I don't think it's a matter of "unlocking" these, but rather we would have to be in an environment where that kind of mental prowess helped to promote genetic offspring. I'm not sure that will ever really be the case, but I guess from a technological standpoint, it's possible we could "unlock" those through genetic therapy. That seems more likely at least than for super-humans to come about by evolution guided by natural selection.

The challenge I think is isolating genes to figure out which is really having a causal impact on these traits. That's easier said than done, and even more difficult to actually find a mechanism to enact the change.

[Al Gorefiend]

You are poised atop a vast sphere, full of limitless points and angles. Places, things, people, creatures abound you in every direction. You were placed here in the pursuit of knowledge since birth, and your interactions and experiences will shape your very being until the day you die.

Yet here you are, wasting away sitting on a computer on a meaningless website, of which 40% are trolls, 55% are misanthropic xenophobes and the rare 5% are narcissists, stroking their massively inflated egos as they assign an abstract value to the words they type into a white box, to be judged by others, and think themselves proud of it.

Short answer: No, we aren't.

[Very Tired]

It's amazing how many people used this topic and delve into pointless forum bashing again. It gets old after a while people.