Article

2010-12-29 Science & Technology

Brain thickness determines political leaning: study

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Posted by tipper 2010-12-29 01:56|| || Front Page|| [11137 views ] Top

#1 What about the saying that if you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you are not a conservative at 50 you have no brain? People's views can change over a life time. Does that mean that their amygdala grows and shrinks?

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2010-12-29 02:08|| 2010-12-29 02:08|| Front Page Top

#2 Rambler, that saying's just a bit too kind on Liberals, methinks. A more succinct observation is that left wing inclinations and naivety go hand in hand.

Posted by Bulldog 2010-12-29 05:27|| 2010-12-29 05:27|| Front Page Top

#3 I know many families that are split politically.

Posted by Bernardz 2010-12-29 06:43|| 2010-12-29 06:43|| Front Page Top

#4 I just noticed the dig at conservatives.

I think we can file this "research" with Climate Fraud.

If anyone suffers from emotional thinking and lack of logic it's the left.

After all leftists have more religious faith in the state than conservatives have in god! IMHO

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2010-12-29 08:08|| 2010-12-29 08:08|| Front Page Top

#5 The good doctor is making up a link to support his agenda. Kind of like saying all serial killers do so after drinking water so water creates serial killers.

Seems to me the thinkness of the amygdala could be linked to emotional maturity and management - the thicker the more maturity and management of one's emotions - their political leanings is a side effect.

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-12-29 08:28|| 2010-12-29 08:28|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't believe this for a second. I have long felt the emotion of the left thinker does not allow for consideration of opposing views. Anyone who has had a discussion with a left thinker has experienced this. Look at O now. He goes about business oblivious to the damage he has done. Climate change, global warming, fairness doctrine, health control, all filled with blind emotion. The defense of a left thinker is always you are wrong, not informed, Oh! you are one of those. They yell louder also to drown you out. Look at the view show for one of many examples. They will use the audience to lord over you. I am pragmatic but an idealist as well. It is the idealism that gets me into trouble with these people. Why do I think they would consider information that challenges them is my issue. The more educated the greater the rebuff. The cult leaders have a willing and eager following. Just another attempt to marginalize conservatism. Neuroscientists also are referred to in healthcare as the most neurotic as well.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-29 08:56|| 2010-12-29 08:56|| Front Page Top

#7 Explains why liberalism is concentrated in cities - the brain misgrowth is caused by something in the water, perhaps a chemical added in treating municipal water supplies (but doesn't seem to be in beer, except maybe Lite beer - maybe the yeasties destroy it - so drink beer instead of water!)

Posted by Glenmore 2010-12-29 09:04|| 2010-12-29 09:04|| Front Page Top

#8 The tabloids used to publish a lot of articles like this, using the format:

The ______ of your _____ predicts your _______!

And "fill in the blanks" means just that. For example:

The COLOR of your PET predicts your LOVE LIFE!

The LENGTH of your HAIR predicts your FINANCIAL SUCCESS!

The SHAPE of your FINGERS predicts if your SPOUSE WILL CHEAT ON YOU!

The important thing, as far as the tabloids was concerned, was that their shouldn't be any direct or obvious connection, like "The COLOR of your SKIN predicts if you CAN commit HATE CRIMES". Which, of course, would point out the obvious.

Posted by Anonymoose 2010-12-29 09:13|| 2010-12-29 09:13|| Front Page Top

#9 Bottom line: "Who has thicker heads?" The answer will most likely explain a lot of what goes on in Congress.

Posted by JohnQC 2010-12-29 09:15|| 2010-12-29 09:15|| Front Page Top

#10 "He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities."

Ben Franklin

Posted by Besoeker 2010-12-29 09:17|| 2010-12-29 09:17|| Front Page Top

#11 Speaking of amygdala

Posted by tipper 2010-12-29 09:28|| 2010-12-29 09:28|| Front Page Top

#12 Tipper that was a good read. I would expect use would enlarge emygdala. I find it difficult to believe that each side is so independent(information must be commingled for central processing- selectively prioritized?). As I recall we are born with I believe one of four personality types. Perhaps this is why family views can differ so.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-29 10:16|| 2010-12-29 10:16|| Front Page Top

#13 Scans of 90 students' brains at University College London

First - isn't 90 an awfully small sample size?

Second - These are college _students_. Not a very random sample in which to draw conclusions for the entire population at large.

Third - This could just as easily be linked to the amount of alcohol (or drugs) the person as been consuming over the previous month. (See College Student).

Talking about the experiment, he said: "I took this on as a fairly frivolous exercise: I just decided to find out what was biologically wrong with people who don't agree with me and see what scientists had to say about it and they actually came up with something."

Nope - no agenda there. Move along now.... nothing to see here....

Posted by Crager de Medici7967 2010-12-29 11:19|| 2010-12-29 11:19|| Front Page Top

#14 Whoops - 'Crager de Medici7967' was me, New browser - didn't set cookie/name.

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-12-29 11:21|| 2010-12-29 11:21|| Front Page Top

#15 Sounds like an example of "Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc" to me...

Posted by Warthog 2010-12-29 12:17|| 2010-12-29 12:17|| Front Page Top

#16 Now I had to go look up Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc. Perhaps my amygdala was too thick....

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-12-29 12:40|| 2010-12-29 12:40|| Front Page Top

#17 Let me get this straight, at the behest of one of their finest scientific minds, a TV Comedian, they scanned the brains of the same kiddies who are rioting because their subsidised tuition went up to the same level as an inexpensive state school in the US and the 'test subjects' might have to take out loans or get part time jobs? And we are supposed to take this seriously?

My brain, it hurts

Posted by Bill Griling5080 2010-12-29 13:30|| 2010-12-29 13:30|| Front Page Top

#18 It may not be entirely correct to say this is the "emotional" part of the brain. Google "reptilian brain" and you'll find this is the part of the brain that takes over when you are in a fight or flight situation. It is supposedly the most primitive part of the brain that will keep on ticking when everything else is shut down, sort of a survival mechanism, if you will. My own theory, then, is that conservatives have better survival instincts. They are quicker to recognize threats to their survival. For instance, they are more likely to drive pick up trucks than Priuses because they want to be able to survive if things on the freeway get dicey instead of rolling down the road in a tin can. Sounds like a good thing to me. In fact, General Motors at one time hired a psychologist who basically told them to manufacture big cars and SUVs that would appeal to the reptilian brain. It worked, sort of, until fuel prices went through the roof and the mortgage crisis caught GM with their pants down. So it appears that we can be manipulated by clever advertising campaigns that appeal to our survival instincts. Now, in the case of Obama vs McCain in 2008, you could also say this primitive part of the brain was in play with voters who perceived McCain as being old and feeble compared to a younger and more vital Obama in spite of the self-destructive aspects of Obama's agenda. I think it would also explain why Ronald Reagan beat the crap out of jimmuh carter in 1980.

Posted by Abu Uluque (new computer) 2010-12-29 13:43|| 2010-12-29 13:43|| Front Page Top

#19 #18 and #15; You all brought some good stuff today.
"Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc"
"My own theory, then, is that conservatives have better survival instincts."
All good reading today.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-29 13:57|| 2010-12-29 13:57|| Front Page Top

#20 #11: Speaking of amygdala
Posted by: tipper|| 2010-12-29 09:28

Tipper - excellent article. That would also go along with the amygdala being the part of the brain that is linked to survival. The larger the social network, the more help one could call upon to either work with you against your foes, or to help you escape danger. LOTS to think about!

Posted by Old Patriot 2010-12-29 14:18|| 2010-12-29 14:18|| Front Page Top

#21 I read once something somewhere that while for men it's "fight or flight", for women it's "fight, flight, or pull together a team to deal with the problem". I don't know how much science there was behind that claim, but it certainly feeds into Old Patriot's thinking about tipper's article. Even if the sexes differentiated in Homo sap., the selection would have been inherited by both, just like male mammals have nipples.

Posted by trailing wife 2010-12-29 16:06|| 2010-12-29 16:06|| Front Page Top

#22 just like male mammals have nipples

We do? Maybe we don't need females after all.

Posted by gorb 2010-12-29 17:34|| 2010-12-29 17:34|| Front Page Top

#23 Bigger amygdala = more friends?

Yeah, I can see that. The extreme Libs I know all have problems with their social networks/families. Pretty much all of the Conservatives....don't.

But that is positive towards the thoughtcrime side of the equation, so don't expect academia to investigate that....

Posted by Swamp Blondie 2010-12-29 19:22|| 2010-12-29 19:22|| Front Page Top

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