Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON CONSERVATISM

If you've got a thicker amygdala, the ancient, more primitive part of your brain, chances are you're a conservative.

This is a light-hearted study which may or may not have significance.  LOL!

Brain thickness determines political leaning: study


"Neuroscientists are examining whether political allegiances are hard-wired into people after finding evidence that the brains of conservatives are a different shape to those of left-wingers.


Scans of 90 students' brains at University College London (UCL) uncovered a "strong correlation" between the thickness of two particular areas of grey matter and an individual's views.


Self-proclaimed right-wingers had a more pronounced amygdala - a primitive part of the brain associated with emotion while their political opponents from the opposite end of the spectrum had thicker anterior cingulates.


The research was carried out by Geraint Rees director of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience who said he was "very surprised" by the finding, which is being peer reviewed before publication next year."

8 comments:

Leslie Parsley said...

So, are scientists saying conservatives are thick headed?

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

So the political preference of conservatives is based on their genes in the same way that homosexuality is inborn.


That ought to piss off righty. Well done Shaw.


I wonder if Anita Bryant will start a clinic in order to cure conservatives after denying this.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

A “"strong correlation" between the thickness of two particular areas of grey matter and an individual's views.

Not surprising. I would be willing to conjecture that there are other anatomical features yet to be studied … especially those at the posterior end, which would explain why certain conservatives have huge pompous asses.

Pamela Zydel said...

Leslie: I have to admit that many are!

Truth: You do have a knack, my friend.

Octo: Or do you mean they ARE huge pompous asses? ;)

Shaw: I guess I'm a freak because I'm not very emotional. I have my moments, but they are mostly "people" oriented, not political.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Pamela, there are baboons that have a less exaggerated buttocks, and some of them even have an “I love you” shaped on their bottoms; but there is nothing lovable about the new tea baggers taking over Congress in January.

Infidel753 said...

[Facepalm] Shaw, I realize you meant this post as "light-hearted", but it is really infuriating how, time after time, the MSM garble their reporting of science.

I could spend all day pointing out things that are wrong with this, but for just one: if "political allegiances are hard-wired into people", we wouldn't see so many people changing their political views over time. An individual's political world-view seems to be a lot more mutable than, say, sexual orientation.

K. said...

College students have brains?

Anonymous said...

Bagging on conservatives/republicans on every post, as if you are any better than them. It's hypocrites like you that keep America from progressing...