Humans can do incredible things. They have language, literature, art, science and have even changed the planet’s evolution. We normally think that all of these achievements must be linked to our exceptional brains. We must have the largest, most dense and well-supported brain.

The first is the easiest to debunk: size. Humans have big brains weighing in at around 1.3–1.4 kgs and around 15 cms long. Mice, birds, chimps, we beat them all, yet sperm whales beat any other species on the planet, including elephants, at around 7.8 kgs.

Perhaps humans have the largest brain size to body ratio? While our ratio beats elephants (1/40 in humans compared to 1/560 in elephants), mice come in similarly to us and birds beat us easily (1/12). Check out crows doing clever things on the internet – amazing!

Humans do come out on top when the complex measurement called “encephalization quotient” is taken. This value compares the brain to body size ratio of similar animals, which means we have big brains compared to other apes and monkeys.

The second is whether human brain density comes out on top. If you were to take a rodent brain and increase its size to 86 billion neurons (that’s the number of neurons a human brain has – not a 100 million [another brain myth]), it would weigh in at an incredible 35 kg.

Our brain works through neurons that carry electrical signals. These neurons need other cells to support them in their job, which leads us to a third myth. It was thought that humans have around 20% of these supporting glial cells more than other species. Recent studies have debunked this claim.

There must be something special about the human brain or I wouldn’t be able to write this article. So, what is it? Scientists are trying to find out by studying the ways our brains communicate, develop and use energy. The truth might be stranger than fiction!