Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA05291 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 6 May 2000 18:54:03 +0100 Message-ID: <39141687.C6F60B09@mediaone.net> Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 13:56:40 +0100 From: Chuck Palson <cpalson@mediaone.net> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Fwd: Researchers Identify Brain's Moral Center References: <20000506013106.AAA12940@camailp.harvard.edu@[204.96.32.105]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
I find this interesting although far from surprising. Nevertheless, I was glad
that WTS sent it along. However, I would like to ask either Wade or anyone out
there a question:
What does this have to do with memetics?
"Wade T.Smith" wrote:
> Researchers Identify Brain's Moral Center
>
> http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtPrint/EMIHC000/333/7228/280174.html?k=bas
> ePrint
>
> May 4, 2000
>
> SAN DIEGO (Reuters Health) - The brain's moral center‹the bit that sorts
> "right" from "wrong"‹has been identified on brain scans, researchers
> reported here at the American Academy of Neurology's 52nd annual meeting.
>
> Drs. Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza and Jorge Moll of the Neurology and
> Neuroimaging Group, LABS and Hospitais D'or, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, used
> magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to find out which parts of the brain
> were working when people were asked to make moral judgments.
>
> Ten subjects (six men and four women), aged 24 to 43 years, were asked to
> make a series of moral judgments while lying inside an MRI scanner.
>
> On headphones, the study participants listened to a series of statements,
> such as "we break the law if necessary," "everyone has the right to
> live," and "let's fight for peace." In each case, the subjects were asked
> to silently judge if each sentence was "right" or "wrong."
>
> The participants also listened to sentences with no moral content, such
> as "stones are made of water" or "walking is good for health," and judged
> these in a similar fashion.
>
> Results from brain scans taken as these judgments were being considered
> showed that making moral choices was associated with activation of the
> brain's frontal poles‹an area known as Brodmann area 10.
>
> According to the research team, their findings tie in with previous
> observations that people who injure this area of the brain may exhibit
> severe antisocial activity.
>
> Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited.
>
> ===============================================================
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> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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