C'mon, man. We're talkin' Scarlett Johannson here! Whether or not that 10% myth is true or not has nothing to do with whether its good entertainment.

However, I must admit I have often been annoyed by the 10% capacity meme, it's almost as absurd as the old rhubarb about scientists "proving" bumblebees can't fly. We already know they can fly. Scientists have to prove how they do it, not if. That kind of thinking is what you'd expect from people who don't like science, who mistrust it, and are envious or afraid of those who can think scientifically. Its their "proof" that being ignorant and superstitious is better than being rational and logical.

No doubt, the brain is a remarkable machine, one whose capabilities are still mostly a mystery to us, and capable of processing information on many different levels. I find it much more astonishing that we can drive an automobile, listen to radio, hold a conversation, and eat a cheeseburger all at the same time. And you don't need to be all that smart to do it.

Besides, even if we were able, under extraordinary circumstances, to greatly increase the cognitive ability of the brain, that doesn't mean we would be capable of telekinesis, teleportation, telepathy, time travel, invisibility or exceptionalism.

Come to think, I'm stating to wonder if intelligence is a survival trait anyway. It may be useful to individual success under certain circumstances, but at the species level it probably is a drawback, not an asset. Any positive advantages intelligence confers on an organism is probably nullified by its negative effect on its environment.

If intelligence were all necessary to success, ants and termites would be geniuses.