# Do you have a Brainwave?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-brainwave/58388>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 17, 2001, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-brainwave/58388 "2001-03-17T17:12:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jukeball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@Jukeball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jukeball)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2001, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-brainwave/58388/1 "2001-03-17T17:12:24Z")

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In Scientific terms is there really anything such as a Brain wave or was it just somebody’d ‘idea’?

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2001, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-brainwave/58388/2 "2001-03-17T17:23:26Z")

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Brainwaves are a measure of the electrical activity of the brain. We know that having brain activity is generally a good thing, not having brain activity means you are dead, and that certain kinds of brain activity can be linked to certain kinds of behaviors and/or diseases. The EEG (ElectroEncephaloGram, or electrical brain-measuring doodad :)) measures this electrical activity by way of little electrodes attached directly to the scalp and gives output in the form of little lines that go up and down that require training to understand. I hope that helps.