There is so much political correctness everywhere.

[OinkBoink]

And maybe "rightly" so sometimes. From the perspective of a system, it's probably needed sometimes to keep things in check or to keep things balanced. Maybe you'll shoot me down for saying this. But I don't think I care anymore.

Rich people are bad, spoilt/spoiled and dumb (especially the ones born into wealth). Poor people are good and noble. A beautiful woman can't be intelligent. LOL. It's a wee bit pathetic. Kinda like some of those unattractive women who run around town bitching about beautiful women because deep down they know that it's harder for them to get men (I don't intend to be sexist, the same thing or similar things can be said with the genders reversed). When some people can't be as good as some others, they try to pull them down.

We're all ego-driven. Me included.
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I doubt there's any such thing as a truly self-made man. Even in the most poverty stricken areas, only some people have what it takes to channel their hardwork into something fruitful via a genetic gift of intelligence. Lots of people work hard. If hardwork and physical discomfort were the only criteria for appreciation/success in this world and fairness in this universe, all those labo(u)rers in 3rd world countries who work for less than 1US$ a day would be among the most appreciated and rich people. Again, this depends on whom you consider a "self-made" man. Someone who utilises whatever potential/resources he/she has to be able to take care of himself/herself perhaps.

A lot depends on where you were born, when you were born, your genetic make-up etc. Even the first letter of your name can influence outcomes, not in some weird astrological sense but in a statistical sense (for instance, when you fill a form and get allotted something on an alphabetical basis).

We tend to appreciate people on the basis of how they're useful to us. Someone who works his/her way out of poverty is intellectually useful for everyone because he/she brings hope. Scientists, musicians etc. are useful to us in a more obvious sense.

I'm not saying that people should not be appreciated. No, certainly not. I think everyone irrespective of who they are or where they come from should be appreciated just the right amount considering everything that they've been through because it motivates them to do well. Too little appreciation can depress people and too much of it can inflate their heads.
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There was this interesting neuroscience experiment a certain neuroscientist talked about in an interview (interviewed by Roger Bingham of The Science Network). I can't remember his name. But I can check it out later and tell you (edit: the name's Rodolfo Llinas). They did this little experiment where he was made to wear something called a transcranial magnetic stimulator. So, first his colleague asked him to move his leg outwards and he did. He asked him to do this a couple of times. Then he asked him to move his leg outwards but he stimulated the parts of his brain responsible for moving his leg inwards and surely enough, his leg moved inwards. When he asked the neuroscientist who was the subject of the experiment, "Why did you move your leg inwards?", the neuroscientist said, "I changed my mind. I had a thought that I had to move it inwards". Interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T3ovN7JHPo (the experiment stuff starts from 36:00 and it's just a few minutes long).

Of course, this was the opinion of one neuroscientist. I can't make any judgements about "free will" (which is an incredibly complex topic) or whatever based on that. I neither believe nor disbelieve in "free will", "intentionality" etc. I just don't know enough.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

And maybe "rightly" so sometimes. From the perspective of a system, it's probably needed sometimes to keep things in check or to keep things balanced. Maybe you'll shoot me down for saying this. But I don't think I care anymore.

Rich people are bad, spoilt/spoiled and dumb (especially the ones born into wealth). Poor people are good and noble. A beautiful woman can't be intelligent. LOL. It's a wee bit pathetic. Kinda like some of those unattractive women who run around town bitching about beautiful women because deep down they know that it's harder for them to get men (I don't intend to be sexist, the same thing or similar things can be said with the genders reversed). When some people can't be as good as some others, they try to pull them down.

I've been around a LOT of rich and beautiful people and trust me, it gets worse the closer to the top you get. The only real difference is that as you get close to the top the men are bitches too. (i mean that in a backtalking bitch way, not in an effeminate way)

We're all ego-driven. Me included.

I doubt there's any such thing as a truly self-made man. Even in the most poverty stricken areas, only some people have what it takes to channel their hardwork into something fruitful via a genetic gift of intelligence. Lots of people work hard. If hardwork and physical discomfort were the only criteria for appreciation/success in this world and fairness in this universe, all those labo(u)rers in 3rd world countries who work for less than 1US$ a day would be among the most appreciated and rich people.

A lot depends on where you were born, when you were born, your genetic make-up etc. Even the first letter of your name can influence outcomes, not in some weird astrological sense but in a statistical sense (for instance, when you fill a form and get allotted something on an alphabetical basis).

We tend to appreciate people on the basis of how they're useful to us. Someone who works his/her way out of poverty is intellectually useful for everyone because he/she brings hope. Scientists, musicians etc. are useful to us in a more obvious sense.

I'm not saying that people should not be appreciated. No, certainly not. I think everyone irrespective of who they are or where they come from should be appreciated just the right amount considering everything that they've been through because it motivates them to do well. Too little appreciation can depress people and too much of it can inflate their heads.

There was this interesting neuroscience experiment a certain neuroscientist talked about in an interview (interviewed by Roger Bingham of The Science Network). I can't remember his name. But I can check it out later and tell you (edit: the name's Rodolfo Llinas). They did this little experiment where he was made to wear something called a transcranial magnetic stimulator. So, first his colleague asked him to move his leg outwards and he did. He asked him to do this a couple of times. Then he asked him to move his leg outwards but he stimulated the parts of his brain responsible for moving his leg inwards and surely enough, his leg moved inwards. When he asked the neuroscientist who was the subject of the experiment, "Why did you move your leg inwards?", the neuroscientist said, "I changed my mind. I had a thought that I had to move it inwards". Interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T3ovN7JHPo (the experiment stuff starts from 36:00 and it's just a few minutes long).

Of course, this was the opinion of one neuroscientist. I can't make any judgements about "free will" (which is an incredibly complex topic) or whatever based on that. I neither believe nor disbelieve in "free will", "intentionality" etc. I just don't know enough.

TCMS devices is pseudo---- bullsheit. They don't work because the neural patchways are surrounded by water and NON ferrous in conductive carrier materials.

If it WAS possible then an MRI (about 36 BILLION TIMES as strong of a magnetic field as these TCMS devices) would wreck your brain.

Internal electrode stimulation works because it directly stimulates the neural pathways, we are horrible at doing this right but eventually it will replace the pacemaker.

 

[OinkBoink]

TCMS devices is pseudo---- bullsheit.

Ah. Got to watch out for that. I don't know enough about it, so I'm not going to make a judgement.

I've been around a LOT of rich and beautiful people and trust me, it gets worse the closer to the top you get. The only real difference is that as you get close to the top the men are bitches too. (i mean that in a backtalking bitch way, not in an effeminate way)

Okay. Though I was talking about something else entirely.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Ah. Got to watch out for that.

Didn't want to use the word science since scientists wouldn't be involved in a method that per the very laws of physics cannot work.

I've entertained the ideas and experiments but when you realize that the cited experiments do not use reliable subjects (usually part of the scientists attempting to show results of the experiment) and that the very technique cannot work because the laws of physics would have to be suspended just in that area for it to work.

I mean... come on, you use a magnetic force that couldn't lift a pure iron paperclip and think that will work? What would happen to a mans brain in an MRI if it worked like that?

 

[OinkBoink]

Okay, I got this off of Wikipedia. "Deep TMS can reach up to 6 cm into the brain to stimulate deeper layers of the motor cortex, such as that which controls leg motion."

If it doesn't work at all, then how does it elicit physical responses? Or is there something more that I'm missing?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_magnetic_stimulation

Also, about the magnetic field strength of an MRI and one of those devices:

"TMS uses electromagnetic induction to generate an electric current across the scalp and skull without physical contact. A plastic-enclosed coil of wire is held next to the skull and when activated, produces a magnetic field oriented orthogonal to the plane of the coil. The magnetic field passes unimpeded through the skin and skull, inducing an oppositely directed current in the brain that activates nearby nerve cells in much the same way as currents applied directly to the cortical surface.

The path of this current is difficult to model because the brain is irregularly shaped and electricity and magnetism are not conducted uniformly throughout its tissues. The magnetic field is about the same strength as an MRI, and the pulse generally reaches no more than 5 centimeters into the brain unless using the Deep TMS variant of TMS."

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Okay, I got this off of Wikipedia. "Deep TMS can reach up to 6 cm into the brain to stimulate deeper layers of the motor cortex, such as that which controls leg motion."

If it doesn't work at all, then how does it elicit physical responses? Or is there something more that I'm missing?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_magnetic_stimulation

Mainly that the entire wikipedia article is based on pseudo-science.

This is pop psychology originally invented for another reason but revived to treat depressions and such.

You can also wear a magnetic bracelet and it will help you immensly if you believe in it.

There are NO double blind peer reviewed studies on this subject and that is what separates science from magic.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Okay, I got this off of Wikipedia. "Deep TMS can reach up to 6 cm into the brain to stimulate deeper layers of the motor cortex, such as that which controls leg motion."

If it doesn't work at all, then how does it elicit physical responses? Or is there something more that I'm missing?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_magnetic_stimulation

Also, about the magnetic field strength of an MRI and one of those devices:

"TMS uses electromagnetic induction to generate an electric current across the scalp and skull without physical contact. A plastic-enclosed coil of wire is held next to the skull and when activated, produces a magnetic field oriented orthogonal to the plane of the coil. The magnetic field passes unimpeded through the skin and skull, inducing an oppositely directed current in the brain that activates nearby nerve cells in much the same way as currents applied directly to the cortical surface.

The path of this current is difficult to model because the brain is irregularly shaped and electricity and magnetism are not conducted uniformly throughout its tissues. The magnetic field is about the same strength as an MRI, and the pulse generally reaches no more than 5 centimeters into the brain unless using the Deep TMS variant of TMS."

First of all, magnetical fields do not get "translated" into electrons in the neural pathways PERIOD! It doesn't work that way.

It works the other way around because electrical impulses do disrupt magnetic fields.

It's ALL pseudoscientific bullsheit, ALL of it, if you understand how the neural pathways work then you get that at best you could disrupt a function in the brain or destroy something, you can't EVER affect something like sensory awareness with anything less than deep brain electrostimulation and that is usually permanent.

 

[OinkBoink]

A Google search for "transcranial magnetic stimulation peer review" comes up with a lot of hits which seem to be like peer reviewed articles.

There's no confusion between TMS and magnetotherapy right (if they're both crap, well then so be it)? (http://www.danbuzzard.net/journal/the-naked-scientists-got-it-wrong-magnets-and-migraines.html)

First of all, magnetical fields do not get "translated" into electrons (where does it say this? ) in the neural pathways PERIOD! It doesn't work that way.

It works the other way around because electrical impulses do disrupt magnetic fields.

It's ALL pseudoscientific bullsheit, ALL of it, if you understand how the neural pathways work then you get that at best you could disrupt a function in the brain or destroy something, you can't EVER affect something like sensory awareness with anything less than deep brain electrostimulation and that is usually permanent.

Yes sir! :O

Just being skeptically inquisitive.