The recent Bradley Cooper vehicle, â??Limitless,â? is still making rounds in many theaters, presenting a tantalizing picture of unlimited potential. Sure, for Cooperâ??s Eddie Morra, that potential comes by way of a small clear pill known as NZT with a laundry list of negative side-effects, but watching Morra transform from a greasy loser to a sparkling genius is like a Cinderella story (with a lot of guns, blood hungry loan sharks, and dying junkies). As the credits rolled, I wondered how much accuracy there was to the movieâ??s science. Todayâ??s infographic tackles the myth that we only use 10% of our brains, the actual possibility of an NZT-like drug, and other brainy tid-bits. (For another awesome infographic on the brain, see the previously posted 15 Things You Didn’t Know About the Brain.)
The middle section gives an interesting numerical snapshot of the brain. According to the infographic, the brain weighs 3 lbs. and contains 100,000 miles, yes miles, of blood vessels. The bottom portion examines the current possibility of several key â??Limitlessâ? plot points. Just how likely is a drug that unlocks a hidden cache of brilliance? At this point, it looks like much of the plot is rooted in a combination of science and science fiction.
Whether the movieâ??s science is 100% plausible or not, â??Limitlessâ? is definitely worth a watch. If nothing else, it presents a compelling scenario: at what price would you take unlimited personal potential? [Via]
