Neurobollocks

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Blind groper
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Neurobollocks

Post by Blind groper » Sat Nov 22, 2014 10:28 pm

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Myths-Brain ... 1118312716

Dr. Christian Jarrett wrote the above book describing a whole bunch of pseudoscientific myths about the human brain. Here are a few.

- We use only 10% of our brains. Wrong. One way or another, humans use 100% of the brain.

- Right brained people are more creative. BS.

- If a person is having an epileptic fit, you should put something in their mouth to stop them swallowing their tongue. Utter crap.

- Women lose their intelligence and/or memory when pregnant. Simply not true.

- Mood disorders come from brain chemical imbalances. Not.

- Computerised brain training can make you smart. More bollocks.

Popular myths that have been promulgated include a 'dark patch' on the brain causing rape and murder. Something called a 'crockus' that is four times bigger in women than men. Nope. It does not exist. Another source of bulldust is the Mars/Venus books about the difference between men and women.

A lot of problems arise from single and small studies which return incomplete or inaccurate results. A meta-analysis of many studies is more likely to be accurate.

No doubt more myths will be revealed with more research. In the mean time, it pays to be skeptical.

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Re: Neurobollocks

Post by mistermack » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:30 am

Blind groper wrote: In the mean time, it pays to be skeptical.
Wrong.
The money is in the bullshit.
While there is a market for shit, there will be assholes to supply it.

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Re: Neurobollocks

Post by Hermit » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:53 am

mistermack wrote:
Blind groper wrote: In the mean time, it pays to be skeptical.
Wrong.
The money is in the bullshit.
You have a keen sense of humour, mistermack, but some of your jokes do fall flat. This is one of them.
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops. - Stephen J. Gould

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Re: Neurobollocks

Post by rainbow » Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:28 am

Hermit wrote:
mistermack wrote:
Blind groper wrote: In the mean time, it pays to be skeptical.
Wrong.
The money is in the bullshit.
You have a keen sense of humour, mistermack, but some of your jokes do fall flat. This is one of them.
I don't think it is funny either, but it is certainly a valid point.

Bullshit sells.
I call bullshit - Alfred E Einstein
BArF−4

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Re: Neurobollocks

Post by pErvinalia » Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:30 am

I didn't think it was that unfunny.
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Re: Neurobollocks

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:49 am

rEvolutionist wrote:I didn't think it was that unfunny.
Me neither. It had a certain core of chuckleworthyness and also the veneer of obvious truth. :tea:
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Re: Neurobollocks

Post by JimC » Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:24 pm

rEvolutionist wrote:I didn't think it was that unfunny.
Damning with faint praise...
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