this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2023
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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's actually science behind it.

A brain scan can reveal a person's political leaning with like 80% accuracy, and I can't stress enough how crazy that number is, the remaining 20% usually just aren't political or in the middle.

It's done by looking at the size/activity of the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.

A conservative will have more amygdala activity, which is our flight or fight response.

A progressive will have a larger preferential cortex, the part that gives us logic and empathy.

It's always important to mention that this isn't permanent, our brains are like muscles, use certain parts and they get more active and even physically larger (but obviously on a small scale).

We know that because there's been studies on London taxi drivers. Before training their brains are normal. But since they have to memorize every street in London, by the time they're certified there's a noticable difference in the part of the brain that handles navigation.

So it's not like theyre a lost cause.

And why republican leaders are so hell vent on removing "liberal arts" from schools. The people leading aren't idiots, they're trying to make more conservatives

[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's a really reductive oversimplification of the situation.

How does it account for PTSD sufferers at all?

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That's nothing to do with it...

You could just as well ask how it accounts for penguins riding unicycles.

The only brain change with PTSD is the hippocampus, they've explicitly looked for changes to the amygdala and there isn't any.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647246/

If you want to split hairs, there is a statistically insignificant change, but that makes it smaller.

[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

No, there are many brain changes involved with PTSD including the prefrontal cortex and the study clearly didn't take it into account.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-021-01155-7

I didn't even say anything about the amygdala. I said PTSD. Don't put words in my mouth.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe you should have explicitly stated your point?

And I don't see anything in your link about subsequent changes to size or activity of the prefrontal cortex due to PTSD.

Although I admittedly just skimmed it.

So if that links backs up your argument (whatever that was) please link the relevant part.