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San Francisco, 6:58 PM
Sun Nov 8
12 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Thapa Thapa
    08/12/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    I think this is an excellent time to mention another relevant study, which proved that people are more likely to believe articles about neuroscience if they include color pictures of the brain.
    [www.sciencedaily.com]
    In fact, they specifically cite that article against the "God Spot"!
     Reply
    RandomFrequentFlierDent promoted this comment Thapa was starred Thapa was unstarred
    Image of Roklimber Roklimber
    08/12/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    Am I the only one who can see the face of jeeeeeezus in the two bottom pictures? Clearly, the god spot is not a spot, it's a face, and therein lies the proof that god exists. You science fools.
    See, with the discovery of the god spot and the god particle, god is revealing himself to science. Soon enough, scientists will admit that ID is correct, evolution is wrong, and Chuck Norris is Jeeeezus reincarnated.
     Reply
    Roklimber was starred Roklimber was unstarred
    Image of ithyphallus, bonks morrigan ithyphallus, bonks morrigan
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    neurology as a whole should focus on an interactive, dynamic brain rather than singularities (spots)[although most journals already practice this way of thinking of... thinking]. from say a love "spot" to a love pattern of neural firing, but even that is very difficult to discern from other patterns of firing and stimulation of the same pathways can produce different results. very few or if any brain signaling is focused on just one part of the brain.
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Edited by ithyphallus, bonks morrigan at 08/11/09 11:06 PM ithyphallus, bonks morrigan was starred ithyphallus, bonks morrigan was unstarred
    Image of OsDavis OsDavis
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    People, people. Let's get to the important point of this piece, namely: When will the "worship me now, fools" raygun be available for purchase at Amazon.com? Can i pre-order?
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment OsDavis was starred OsDavis was unstarred
    Image of Bill-Lee Bill-Lee
    08/12/09

    @OsDavis: Can I have one in red?
     Reply
    Bill-Lee was starred Bill-Lee was unstarred
    Image of Now With More Bob! Now With More Bob!
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    For having a lead paragraph that could have went in very religious direction, but happily did not:
    +1
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Now With More Bob! was starred Now With More Bob! was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    This is similar to the journalistic nonsense that there is a single gene responsible for something or another... like a gene for criminal behaviour, or a gene for longevity.

    The God spot idea always struck me as silly, because religious experience is far too complex and diverse to be the product of a single structure in the brain. I've also seen evangelical anti-theists use it as "evidence" that religious people's brains are damaged compared to atheist's brains. I'm glad that myth is more or less debunked by actual science.
     Reply
    Grey_Area promoted this comment Edited by Anekanta - Go Play! at 08/11/09 7:15 PM Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    08/11/09

    @Anekanta: I just hope they isolate the gene that causes journalistic nonsense soon, before the Swine Flu kills us all.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: This just in: wearing baseball caps backwards causes hearing loss.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: LMAO... Yes I think I might be coming down with a case of the Avian Flu. Last week it was the West Nile virus
     Reply
    Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of it must be bunnies it must be bunnies
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: and sunburn on face - stupid kids get off my lawn!
     Reply
    it must be bunnies was starred it must be bunnies was unstarred
    Image of RandomFrequentFlierDent RandomFrequentFlierDent
    08/11/09

    @Anekanta: I think a lot of the problems relating to the issue of one gene = one trait come from the misconception that all hereditary characteristics in humans are Mendelian traits (a misconception probably reinforced by that fact that some fairly well known diseases like sickle-cell anaemia and cystic fibrosis are). The general public probably isn’t aware that most hereditary characteristics are control by multiple, interacting alleles; just like they aren’t aware that no one spot of the brain controls a certain function. As it is easier to understand and more sensational to say that one gene = one particular trait, lazy or uninformed journalist make use of the public’s ignorance. Just like they tried to do for the God spot stories. I'm glad they're being called out.
     Reply
    Edited by RandomFrequentFlierDent at 08/11/09 8:38 PM RandomFrequentFlierDent was starred RandomFrequentFlierDent was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    08/11/09

    @RandomFrequentFlierDent: Yes--unfortunately I think that's true. A headline by definition oversimplifies the subject matter. It's a bummer though--it seems like a bad feedback loop between journalists and large segments of the public who crave simple explanations because they don't really care about the deeper story, or don't have time to care.
     Reply
    Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of it must be bunnies it must be bunnies
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    There is no God Spot silly. It is the Indoctrination Virus.
    [www.amazon.com]
     Reply
    it must be bunnies was starred it must be bunnies was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    08/11/09

    @it must be bunnies: Ernest Hogan used a similar virus in his 1992 High Aztech. Really worth hunting down. Pity that Hogan only did 3 novels. I like his wicked wit and inclusion of Hispanic/La Raza culture and issues.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of it must be bunnies it must be bunnies
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: Thanks! Adding Ernest Hogan to the ever growing wish list.
     Reply
    it must be bunnies was starred it must be bunnies was unstarred
    Image of goldfarb goldfarb
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    check this one out...it's really interesting:
    [www.youtube.com]
     Reply
    goldfarb was starred goldfarb was unstarred
    Image of RandomFrequentFlierDent RandomFrequentFlierDent
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    Isn’t the God spot underneath the bump that indicates whether or not you have an untrustworthy character.
    Seriously though, is anyone shocked that the headline writers might not be entirely straightforward and honest?
     Reply
    RandomFrequentFlierDent was starred RandomFrequentFlierDent was unstarred
    Image of Dr.Quatermass Dr.Quatermass
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    Re: Cartesian Duality Wow. He really went for the top there. Makes me giggle, a scientist silently nudging the Father of Philosophy. To quote my father: Je pense donc je suis...je pense.
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Dr.Quatermass was starred Dr.Quatermass was unstarred
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