THE HUMAN brain requires less power than a light bulb but it can do extraordinary things.
The brain delegates tasks across the two hemispheres, the right and the left.
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It’s widely understood that the right side of the brain is creative while the left is more technical.
Many assume one side is more dominant depending on the person – similar to handedness.
Optical illusions and personality tests have been developed for identifying strengths and weaknesses that might suggest a person’s dominant hemisphere.
Though the simplest way is to evaluate whether you’re right- or left-brained is to determine whether math and science come easier than artistic endeavors or vice versa.
Roger Sperry, a famed neuroscientist, was the pioneer of the split-brain theory.
His work was born out of operations performed on patients with intolerable epilepsy.
The corpus callosum, a segment of the brain connecting the two hemispheres, was removed from patients and the specialization of each side became apparent.
Sperry earned a Nobel Prize for his discovery – fortunately medical practices have advanced to the point where everyone’s corpus callosum can stay largely in tact.
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There is pushback on whether the right brain versus left brain premise is valid.
Researchers argue the brain relies on contributions from both sides of the brain for creative endeavors like art and calculating efforts like math.
Brittanica writes “mathematics is a profoundly creative endeavor in addition to being a logical one…Likewise, artistic creativity isn’t just unbridled emotion.”
Though contested, the theory is useful for self-analysis and identification.
The human brain is the most complicated organ in the most complex organism known.
Though some traits may be more pronounced in different people, it’s best to be in tune both with the logical and creative sides of the brain.
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