Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Einstein's Brain 'Different' Say Scientists
-By Warner Todd Huston
And now for some important, scientific news, scientists say Einstein's brain was "different" than other People's. (Original story)
Ya don't say?
Four other men? What possible significance would a mere four other men hold to scientific inquiry? Were they men of great accomplishment, men who might show similar attributes as Einstein? Were they random men? Were they winos found on the street dead in the midst of winter? Worse, were they convicts?
Does popping open the hat racks of just any old four men to get their brains make for a scientifically controlled sampling? I smell some junk science a'commin!
Another shrug of the shoulders here.
In the 1800's a man in England filled the skulls of a bunch of dead men with sand. He did the same with a bunch of dead women. He discovered that, on average, men had bigger brains pans inside the skull than did women. Ipso-facto, presto-change'o we’ve got "sexual dimorphism" which "conclusively proved" that men had bigger brains and, therefore, all men must be smarter than women. After all, men DO have bigger brains than the chicks, right?
I say that to my wife all the time when she can't figure out how to read a map. My bigger brain takes a smack in the head every time I say it, too. You'd think with that bigger brain I'd stop saying that line because it invariably leads to a crack in the head. My bigger brain finds the humor more necessary than the safety of no cracking, apparently!
But, wait. Our handy dandy "science" report isn't done yet! In a typically scientific sleight of hand trick we discover that our time reading about Einstein's brain has come to naught...
So the frizzy haired inventor of our theories of time and space just had more time, relativity-ly speaking, to sit about and think all that crazy math stuff? He just took more time to send his brain jogging around inside his head, exercising it more than the rest of us do, huh?
No WONDER it got 15% bigger what with all that exercising and all. His brain musta been like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of brains!
Still, I'd have to say that the common sense approach should be used to solve this mystery. And we don't need scientists to help us with it either.
Ask yourself two questions. 1). Was Einstein's brain different?, and 2). How many gas station counter persons, or McDonald's cashiers do you know that came up with a theory that startled science and changed the face of research in any particular field?
Then you come to the answer. Of COURSE Einstein's brain was different!
Duh!
It all just goes to show how much junk science is being foisted on the American public as if it were “news”, or even “truth”. And they wonder why we doubt global warming, the myth of “second hand smoke”, or why they cannot understand how many people can believe the theory of “Intelligent Design”?
And now for some important, scientific news, scientists say Einstein's brain was "different" than other People's. (Original story)
Ya don't say?
"Researchers are comparing Einstein's brain with four other men's brain of similar age has discovered structure differences."
Four other men? What possible significance would a mere four other men hold to scientific inquiry? Were they men of great accomplishment, men who might show similar attributes as Einstein? Were they random men? Were they winos found on the street dead in the midst of winter? Worse, were they convicts?
Does popping open the hat racks of just any old four men to get their brains make for a scientifically controlled sampling? I smell some junk science a'commin!
"Einstein's brain is larger than others and contained more brain cells too. Having more brain cells, researchers suggest Einstein's brain required more energy. Further, Einstein's brain had unusual pattern of grooves - 15% wider than other brains."
Another shrug of the shoulders here.
In the 1800's a man in England filled the skulls of a bunch of dead men with sand. He did the same with a bunch of dead women. He discovered that, on average, men had bigger brains pans inside the skull than did women. Ipso-facto, presto-change'o we’ve got "sexual dimorphism" which "conclusively proved" that men had bigger brains and, therefore, all men must be smarter than women. After all, men DO have bigger brains than the chicks, right?
I say that to my wife all the time when she can't figure out how to read a map. My bigger brain takes a smack in the head every time I say it, too. You'd think with that bigger brain I'd stop saying that line because it invariably leads to a crack in the head. My bigger brain finds the humor more necessary than the safety of no cracking, apparently!
But, wait. Our handy dandy "science" report isn't done yet! In a typically scientific sleight of hand trick we discover that our time reading about Einstein's brain has come to naught...
"Despite these discoveries, researchers suggest that the structure of Einstein's brain may not have been unique, and that other people may have something similar, but never get the chance to utilize it as much as Einstein did."
So the frizzy haired inventor of our theories of time and space just had more time, relativity-ly speaking, to sit about and think all that crazy math stuff? He just took more time to send his brain jogging around inside his head, exercising it more than the rest of us do, huh?
No WONDER it got 15% bigger what with all that exercising and all. His brain musta been like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of brains!
Still, I'd have to say that the common sense approach should be used to solve this mystery. And we don't need scientists to help us with it either.
Ask yourself two questions. 1). Was Einstein's brain different?, and 2). How many gas station counter persons, or McDonald's cashiers do you know that came up with a theory that startled science and changed the face of research in any particular field?
Then you come to the answer. Of COURSE Einstein's brain was different!
Duh!
It all just goes to show how much junk science is being foisted on the American public as if it were “news”, or even “truth”. And they wonder why we doubt global warming, the myth of “second hand smoke”, or why they cannot understand how many people can believe the theory of “Intelligent Design”?
# posted by Publius @ 6/13/2006 01:47:00 AM 
|
