Slacktivist quotes and elaborates on a cogent point about the above and similar phrases, and what they imply about some evangelicals' thought processes.

TED Talk on the brain bit we use to think about what others are thinking, and its effect on moral judgment. Thanks, tugger, and you're right, we need to try that test on Alex.

Subjects who read an article about infectious disease and then read an article on immigration that uses a body metaphor for the United States are more anxious about immigration than those who read an article with the same content and no body metaphor. The subtlety of this impresses and alarms me. Brains are so messy!

elfs reports on a Stanford study about how people think about other people thinking, as compared to how people think about God thinking.

The study itself is well worth reading (it's accessible and not very long ( Read more... )

A way to think about why mirrors reverse left & right from gfish

Quality human statuary at Westlake Center from elfs

An astonishing array of quality article links from xthread, including the following tidbits ( Read more... )

The Science of Voodoo: When Mind Attacks Body. Power of placebos and nocebos (inert substances believed to be harmful), increased likelihood of death when death is predicted by a doctor. Good info. Thanks, ssatva!

How the color red affects a referee's judgment
Thanks, tugger.

Along similar lines, Wearing red is sexy.

Summary ( Read more... )

Praise their persistence, not their intelligence. Whole article well worth reading.