Listen to this PodcastMore 60-Second Mind
-
How to Enjoy Your Decision
5/22/13 -
Inside the Mind of a Psychopath
5/14/13
-
The Wisdom of Psychopaths
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
Read More »
Neuroscience is one of the more complicated subjects.
But with innovative tools like fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation, and projects that are reengineering a model of a human brain, scientists are working hard on cracking the neural code.
Many would argue, however, that our knowledge of how the brain works is still pretty vague.
Nonetheless all sorts of industries are jumping to use any new brain information to support their work. Neuromarketing claims to get objective truth about peoples’ preferences by decoding the “reactions” of our neurons. Companies like No Lie fMRI, Inc., are capitalizing on the potential for tools that can “read the brain” to replace the polygraph in lie detection. The literary world wants to unweave the rainbow by studying the way the brain processes literature and certain narrative techniques. And there’s even an Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture which reveals that oval tables make eye contact easier.
But scientists remind us that current brain scans only show areas of brain activity in response to simple stimuli. For instance knowing that the anterior cingulate cortex lights up when we love something, doesn’t necessarily help us understand the experience of loving.
Just like knowing the notes of a guitar riff can’t explain the sensation of soul in a blues band.
Not to say that the trend of "neuroscience everywhere" is not merited, just that its promises may be a bit premature. But science is working on it.
—Christie Nicholson
See what we're tweeting about
8 Comments
Add CommentThis is interesting, though indigenous people were already aware of most of these findings, judging by their paintings and cultural patterns. I think we are trying to reinvent the wheel here with a sole purpose of 'milking' this technology. I think scientists who work on neuro problems need to get in touch with indigenous shamans and change their motivation towards helping people, not designing another cash-machine technological break-through.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReally, they beat us to the fMRI? Curse our colonial attitudes and failure to appreciate native culture and science!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisklukin77, I find your comment quite interesting, and something that I'd like to learn more about. Can you recommend any scholarly works or any journal articles that discuss what you mentioned?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd how could Christie forget Neuroethics, Neurophilsophy, Neurolaw, Neurotheology ......?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgfds
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisneuroscientists are working hard for the benefits of human.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisdon't be particular about the results. they certainly do not work well on everyone. what we care are the general principle and with the guidelines to find out how to make people smart, how to cure the disease, how to keep us in good condition, both mental and phyically.
I love this idea because often people say things to be kind rather than what is true. I would love to understand why we have so many problem dieting and organizing our lives. It seems to me discipline is the root cause. CEO Michael E. Parker (no relation) discusses this in his lifeskills 411 Discipline Message. I think his new product InOutCash.Com could also use this material to determine why Americans have so many money management issues and why we are prone to impulse spending. In this age and economy all of these are worthy of discussion.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a young neuroscientist working in fMRI, I would like to add one thing: Simple answers are the best. We need to ask simple questions from our MRI machines. They are easier to disprove and easier to understand. I think the Shamans you mentioned would agree on this. Proving the human soul? What? Rather: How can I use fMRI to show the mind working well or suffering from disease.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this