Reply #3

In the discussion thread: Our brains have evolved to look for patterns and assign meaning, even when none exist. [View all]

Response to cleanhippie (Original post)

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 12:13 PM

saras (6,670 posts)

3. Great - ANOTHER form of fundamentalism

Much as I love science, it is not, by its nature, capable of addressing entire subject areas. It can only address those parts of the world that we have the power to shoehorn into science's limitations.

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59 replies	Author	Time	Post
Our brains have evolved to look for patterns and assign meaning, even when none exist. [View all]	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	OP
Thank you for this post! nt	Ilsa	Mar 2012	#1
Pareidolia	longship	Mar 2012	#2
Great - ANOTHER form of fundamentalism	saras	Mar 2012	#3
Your strawman is so adorable.	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#4
So basically saying science can be used to study the brain and the evolution of it is...	Humanist_Activist	Mar 2012	#5
I think you might want to explore the research, a little...	SamG	Mar 2012	#36
What are science's limitations?	EvolveOrConvolve	Mar 2012	#39
The simplest example of this would be the constellations and looking for shapes in clouds...	Humanist_Activist	Mar 2012	#6
Exactly. And unfortunately, people still assign agenticity as seen in horoscopes.	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#10
One explanation for certain so-called psychic phenomena	TlalocW	Mar 2012	#7
I have seen this in real life.	tabatha	Mar 2012	#8
Why do you suppose evolutionary processes selected-for a brain with beliefs?	Jim__	Mar 2012	#9
Shermer addresses this in his book.	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#11
Can you explain it?	Jim__	Mar 2012	#14
If I could explain it like Shermer, I'd write a book.	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#22
If you understand something, you should be able to explain it.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#25
Seeing patterns is incredibly useful	edhopper	Mar 2012	#26
A pattern recognizing brain is not necessarily a "belief engine."	Jim__	Mar 2012	#31
The OP post makes it quite clear	edhopper	Mar 2012	#33
Why would you ask for scientific evidence to counter a postulate?	Jim__	Mar 2012	#40
A postulate	edhopper	Mar 2012	#42
Here are a few different ideas about beliefs, religion, and evolution.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#45
You seem to be under the misapprehension.	edhopper	Mar 2012	#47
See post #48.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#49
You're right, and I can.	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#28
I'll accept that your explanation is Michael Shermer said so.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#30
You can assume what you want to, it matters not a bit to me.	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#34
Are you trying hard to be snarky? or just repeating a pattern?	SamG	Mar 2012	#37
Probably to make us aware of our surroundings more...	Humanist_Activist	Mar 2012	#12
You say false positives wouldn't adversely affect reproductive success.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#17
You forget that we live in groups, and so did our ancestors...	Humanist_Activist	Mar 2012	#18
I don't forget that we live in groups, your explanation didn't have anything to do with groups.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#19
Seeing patterns has survival value because there ARE patterns	Jim Lane	Mar 2012	#13
Do you have any evidence to support your last sentence?	Jim__	Mar 2012	#15
Anecdotal evidence: Astrology columns in newspapers. Useless gambling systems.	Jim Lane	Mar 2012	#21
Jim, those were awesome responses!	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#23
Your answer indicates that you are far more prone to see patterns than to be overly skeptical.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#24
What are you disagreeing with?	edhopper	Mar 2012	#27
Is it me or is Jim being unnecessarily antagonistic?	cleanhippie	Mar 2012	#35
I was reporting an actual Gallup poll. I personally do not believe in ghosts.	Jim Lane	Mar 2012	#29
Two points.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#32
Try these	edhopper	Mar 2012	#38
Gallup does not make any such claim in those polls.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#41
So your argument is based on	edhopper	Mar 2012	#43
In the first place, I didn't give an argument.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#44
I just don't understand what you are trying to say	edhopper	Mar 2012	#46
Post #9 was my opening of this sub-thread.	Jim__	Mar 2012	#48
All it takes for overzealous pattern recognition to be an evolutionary advantage...	Silent3	Mar 2012	#50
Thank you S3	edhopper	Mar 2012	#51
I can explain that:	laconicsax	Mar 2012	#54
Do you mean reproductive "value" or "advantage"?	SamG	Mar 2012	#52
We do have a brain with beliefs	edhopper	Mar 2012	#53
That does not answer the question of "why" it was selected-for.	Jim__	Apr 2012	#55
So everyone who believes in ghosts is because they had a sudden death	edhopper	Apr 2012	#56
Read posts #41 and 44.	Jim__	Apr 2012	#57
I have no idea what you are trying to argue	edhopper	Apr 2012	#58
Pareidolia:	mr blur	Mar 2012	#16
Thanks ch for the review.	azul	Mar 2012	#20
"Fun Science: Randomness"	SamG	Apr 2012	#59

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