Aggregating transdisciplinary media for an increasingly interconnected world.
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Pesticides May Be Contributing To ADHD And Adversely Affecting Brain Development →
From the article
A baby is more likely to suffer from ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) while it is still in the womb if the mother is exposed to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, according to a new study published inEnvironmental Health Perspectives. Over the last few years there has been increasing interest in determining whether OP pesticides might undermine brain development.
Source: medicalnewstoday.com
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Source: fuckyeahnervoussystem
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Medical News Today: "Brain Response Influenced By Perceived Intentions" →
From the article:
“People generally like to see generous people rewarded and selfish people punished. Now, new research reveals a critical link between how we perceive another’s intentions and our evaluation of their behavior”.
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NPR: Study Narrows Gap Between Mind And Brain →
Researchers were able to alter people’s perceptions of right and wrong by applying magnetic stimulation to the brain. The new study is part of a larger effort by scientists to provide a mechanical explanation for how the brain makes moral judgments.
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Beyond torture: the future of interrogation →
From the article:
“The idea that coercive interrogation works rests on an untested and largely unsupported framework, says Shane O’Mara, director of the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. On the face of it, the coercive model for interrogation seems like common sense…
The idea that coercive interrogation works rests on an untested and largely unsupported framework, says Shane O’Mara, director of the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. On the face of it, the coercive model for interrogation seems like common sense..Whether it really works like that is questionable, however. “Everything we know shows that the ability to accurately retrieve information is severely impaired under conditions of extreme stress,” O’Mara says. Studies on soldiers, for instance, have shown that manipulating sleep, food and temperature produces severe effects on memory, even when people are willing to give up information.”
Prospects for persuasion:
“Borum believes that one way forward may be to learn from social psychology and negotiation theory, both of which can provide insights into ways to achieve resolution using influence and persuasion rather than coercion. For instance, a key lesson from studies of negotiation is that success depends on tailoring your approach to the circumstances. “It offers a better understanding of what kinds of techniques and approaches are most likely to work for what kinds of people, for what kinds of outcomes, in what kinds of circumstances,” he says. Meanwhile, social psychologists have shown that pressuring people to change their minds often produces precisely the opposite of the desired effect: it makes them more resistant to change. There may be non-coercive ways to address resistance, says Borum, which could be applied to an interrogation setting. Alexander sees the merit in this approach. “Taking knowledge from other fields and applying it to interrogation is very important,” he says.”
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Torture and its effects on memory function
New neuroscientific research suggests that enhanced interrogation techniques used by the Bush Administration may have been counterproductive in gaining factual information. Professor Shane O’Mara, from the Institute of Neuroscience from Trinity College in Dublin Ireland explains:
“Given our current cognitive neurobiological knowledge, it is unlikely that coercive interrogations involving extreme stress will facilitate release of truthful information from long term memory,” concludes Professor O’Mara. “On the contrary, these techniques cause severe, repeated and prolonged stress, which compromises brain tissue supporting both memory and decision making.”
Sharon Begely’s “The Tortured Brain” is another excellent article on this topic. According to her:
“Fact One: To recall information stored in the brain, you must activate a number of areas, especially the prefrontal cortex (site of intentionality) and hippocampus (the door to long-term memory storage). Fact Two: Stress such as that caused by torture releases the hormone cortisol, which can impair cognitive function, including that of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.”
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Freakonomics: "This is your brain on income inequality" →
“Human beings don’t like income inequality, but until now scientists haven’t really known how deep that dislike goes…”
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Neuroscience for peace
An article in New Scientist reports of an effort among neuroscientists to minimize the use of their research for military or aggressive interrogation methods. According to the author:
“But there is also a dark side to neuroscience. Like any body of knowledge, it can be used for good or ill. Yet neuroscientists often seem unaware of the potential of their field to threaten or damage human life.
Aggressive wars and coercive interrogation methods such as torture are two particularly egregious ways in which human life is damaged or threatened. Not only are both immoral, they are also illegal under national and international laws.”
