Some 35 years ago, after a failed business and a collapsed marriage,
I took a two-year sabbatical and decided to study neuroscience as a
brisk enough intellectual diversion to take my minds off previous
things. As Lawry and Michael G seem to require a tutorial in
neuroscience I will offer the basics of it, free of charge, in two
short paragraphs:
1. By the age of puberty, one's personality and set of basic skills
(e.g. numeracy, dexterity, musicality, rhythmicality, linguistics,
creativity, sociality) has been predominantly shaped by the networks
that remain after a massive culling of neurons which has taken place
in the rear cortex (mainly). This starts on the day of birth and
proceeds according to the specific characteristics of the environment
around the individual, mainly parental, of course.
2. From puberty onwards, a vast development of neurons in the frontal
cortex potentiates rear cortex skills and takes place to a lesser or
greater degree according to the talents and mores of the peer group
in which the individual now chooses to spend time. This tails off
considerably after the age of 25-35 though (with increasing effort)
development can continue for life.
Only one other important point needs to be added, and this from
genetics rather than neuroscience (and now my principal retirement
hobby). Intelligence depends upon at least a few hundred genes and is
far more variable than that measurable in standard IQ tests. And this
is why I am not so gloomy as the article which Ed has cited. If those
speciality groups in power ever lose their precise control levers
(methods of money supply in our present case) then they are always at
the mercy of new ideas coming from people and places they might least suspect.
Keith
At 22:47 19/06/2012, you wrote:
Not really unfortunately... It's just that there is a lot of
discussion around brain mapping etc. and I have a feeling that
various agencies and others are using this research as a basis for
attempting to intervene if not directly then indirectly through
developing specific strategies based on this. I've only followed
this at a considerable distance so I really have no specific knowledge.
M
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of de Bivort Lawrence
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 8:46 AM
To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION
Subject: Re: [Futurework] gloomy America
Michael, can you say more about what you mean here by "neuroscience"?
Thanks.
Lawry
On Jun 19, 2012, at 10:59 AM, michael gurstein wrote:
Yes, and it has been a very long time since I read Marx on this but
I have a feeling that what we are seeing is a qualitatively more
advanced form of distortion... One where the bad guys are able to
actually get in and manipulate at a level of detail (informed by
neuroscience, psychology, anthropology etc.) that the Churches etc.
were not sufficiently sophisticated to be able to achieve. I think
it is rather more on the level of 1984 where people are able to
make others believe that 2+2=5 (creationism etc.) and not only
believe it but believe it passionately and aggressively against all
rhyme or reason... Also, an element in the process is to
reconstruct social relationships ("networked individualism") where
the technology plays a key role so that individuals don't have the
means to achieve the solidarity which would allow them to move
beyond false consciousness/ideological manipulation. Hence the
circle is closed.
M
-----Original Message-----
From:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 7:12 AM
To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION'
Subject: Re: [Futurework] gloomy America
See
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_consciousness>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_consciousness
From:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of michael gurstein
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 9:54 AM
To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION'
Subject: Re: [Futurework] gloomy America
Unfortunately, I agree with the paragraph quoted but only up to the
end of the first (long) sentence... My gloomy assessment is that
the bad guys have now been more or less able to close the circle
(through the judicious use of the media, huge amounts of money,
complacent political classes, and an effective intervention into
the noosphere (societal ideation)). The evidence from Wisconsin,
Greece, Canada is that they are able to twist democracy to support
policies which make things worse for the mass of the population and
to put in place measures which lock-in and reinforce their
political position. My feeling is that the system is more likely
to implode rather than move to any broadly desireable outcome
including the laughable insanity of " return of true capitalism and
the free market" whatever on earth that might possibly mean.
M
-----Original Message-----
From:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 6:23 AM
To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION'
Subject: Re: [Futurework] gloomy America
From Steve Kurtz.
From:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve Kurtz
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 5:42 AM
Subject: [Ottawadissenters] Clive Maund
(thanks to A.P. in Zurich)
Note that this is apart from natural resource bottlenecks which
could inhibit material throughput in future recovery attempts.
Steve
<http://www.clivemaund.com/article.php?art_id=2744>http://www.clivemaund.com/article.php?art_id=2744
last bits of a short article:
The world needs a long and deep depression in order to purge
itself of excess debt and the distortions, inefficiences and
misallocation of capital resulting therefrom, and it is going to
get it, QE and hyperinflation first or not. All the daily noise in
the media about the Greek election, or any elections, or the hyped
up Fed meetings and pronouncements, or what Mrs Merkel thinks and
says etc is just irrelevant fluff, detail and distraction for the
unthinking masses, and ultimately is not going to avert the grim
outcome of this appalling mess. Not until all this debt is
repudiated and the world has gotten the usurious banking system
off its back, with its tentacles reaching deep into government
everywhere, will the world be able to move forward again. Then at
long last we will be able to hail the return of true capitalism
and the free market.
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