Seriously thoughtful Susan Greenfield on the future of the brain

[FlorenceArt]

I'm afraid I had never heard of her, but she's a neuroscientist and she has some very interesting things to say.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/bigideas/st...14/3010298.htm

[ardeegee]

Yaka-wow!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/bl...al-institution

http://neuronarrative.wordpress.com/...g-controversy/

[FlorenceArt]

Yes, it seems she is rather controversial. I didn't read all your links thoroughly, but had a look at a couple of reviews of her book on identity. I wouldn't take her answers at face value, and in the video I did feel at times that she was taking a simplistic view of things, but I do think she is asking good questions.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Yes, it seems she is rather controversial.

I am reminded of a quote by Carl Sagan.

[FlorenceArt]

So, do you have any personal comment on this?

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

So, do you have any personal comment on this?

Yep, it sounds like a steaming pile of poo from an alarmist luddite.

[GraceKrispy]

Very interesting, all these links. I do agree that our current use of technology may be rewiring our brains in new and interesting ways, and that not all these changes are positive. I don't get why kids just say "yuck" and "wow" when playing video games, though. I have noticed a big change in how kids communicate- both verbally and in written form- over the past few decades, and I do think that change is related to how they spend their leisure time. I guess the question is in whether these changes are detrimental to the future of the human race.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Yep, it sounds like a steaming pile of poo from an alarmist luddite.

And did you look at the video or only at the pages you quoted before reaching that decision? Why do you think it's a pile of poo? Do you have anything to contribute to the discussion?

I watched the video, and I thought some of the points she raised were interesting, and she was (mostly) careful not to give any definitive answer that she couldn't prove. I think it's a valid question to ask what effects spending so much time in front of a screen can have on the formation of a mind. And I agree with her that it's something that should be studied (as I'm pretty sure it is).

But it's also true that she used a lot of analogies and anecdotal evidence, which doesn't sound very serious for a scientist.

I also think that this kind of message is something certain types of media are sure to love, and to repeat, amplify and distort, thereby transforming a (it seems to me) honest and valid questioning into a spectacular but meaningless prediction of doom. So she probably is not responsible for ALL of the stupid newspaper headlines that may have resulted from her declarations.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Do you have anything to contribute to the discussion?

I have made a contribution to the discussion-- I think that the woman is a gadfly crackpot. You may not like that I'm saying that-- but that is what I'm saying. And no, I didn't watch the video, but I read lots of articles about her months back when the "yaka-wow" quote came out.

edit to ad one of those articles I read months back:

http://bengoldacre.posterous.com/a-c...-been-concerne

She's a snake-oil salesman with a economic agenda, much like Andrew Wakefield and his autism-vaccines fraud.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

Very interesting, all these links. I do agree that our current use of technology may be rewiring our brains in new and interesting ways, and that not all these changes are positive. I don't get why kids just say "yuck" and "wow" when playing video games, though. I have noticed a big change in how kids communicate- both verbally and in written form- over the past few decades, and I do think that change is related to how they spend their leisure time. I guess the question is in whether these changes are detrimental to the future of the human race.

That's a question that is almost impossible to answer, I suppose.

One thing that I found interesting is how video games, for example, may have a positive impact on IQ. Because they may help develop abilities that help us quickly identify and solve relatively simple problems. But the difficulty with the plasticity of the brain is that when you develop something, it will probably be at the expense of some other ability. She suggested that the abilities that may be hurt by this are the "human" abilities (my words, not hers) such as empathy and social skills. I think there may be some truth in that, but how much? I don't know.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I have made a contribution to the discussion-- I think that the woman is a gadfly crackpot. You may not like that I'm saying that-- but that is what I'm saying. And no, I didn't watch the video, but I read lots of articles about her months back when the "yaka-wow" quote came out.

I don't mind that you think she's a crackpot, I would like to know WHY you think she is wrong. That would be a constructive contribution. Sarcasm is not.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Sarcasm is not.

Then I'm done with this thread. What I said was not "sarcasm" and I have no need to try to justify why I call a spade a spade.

[happy_terd]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

That's a question that is almost impossible to answer, I suppose. One thing that I found interesting is how video games, for example, may have a positive impact on IQ.

Interesting read. My wife is what I consider an anti gamer. She hates video games. The funny thing is in my field many of us were drawn to it through our interest in gaming. I assume many successful IT / technology related professionals started off as video game playing rugrats.

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

I don't mind that you think she's a crackpot, I would like to know WHY you think she is wrong. That would be a constructive contribution. Sarcasm is not.

lol

Sarcasm is usually how people debate things around here.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by happy_terd

Sarcasm is usually how people debate things around here.

Some people, yes, but fortunately not all.

[happy_terd]

Yeah, you are right.