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Sunday, July 26, 2015

What is wrong with people.

Biologists Discover Tiny Neural Computers in the Brain
USA Today has a story about the Louisiana theater shooting, wherein I found this line:
Mourning and mystery shrouded the southern Louisiana city of Lafayette on Sunday as authorities try to determine why an Alabama man with a history of mental illness went on a shooting rampage in a movie theater, killing two patrons and himself.
Why? Are you kidding me? Why? I'll tell you why. It's because he was nuts. You aren't going to find out why. People's brains are the most complicated thing on this planet and possibly in the universe. We have only the vaguest idea of how they work. Some molecular biologists are even now trying to tease out the basic chemical reactions that provide the underpinnings of these contraptions. Brainiacs are trying to understand the overall structure, but we are no closer to understanding why someone turned left in front of a train than we were a thousand years ago. And as long as vivisection is illegal, we never will. Not that I am endorsing vivisection, mind you. I just don't think we are going to be able figure out how brains work until we start probing living brains in detail and in depth.
     The guys in nuclear imaging are doing some amazing things, but we will need a Star Trek level of civilization before they starting delivering useful results. And I'm pretty sure a Star Trek civilization would make our petty fascists look like the Mickey Mouse club. Might even make the Borg look attractive.

Inspired by Tam.

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