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Why Our Brains Can't Process the Gravest Threats To Humanity

Posted by samzenpus on from the forest-through-the-trees dept.

merbs writes: Our brains are unfathomably complex, powerful organs that grant us motor skills, logic, and abstract thought. Brains have bequeathed unto we humans just about every cognitive advantage, it seems, except for one little omission: the ability to adequately process the need for the whole species' long-term survival. They're miracle workers for the short-term survival of individuals, but the scientific evidence suggests that the human brain flails when it comes to navigating wide-lens, slowly-unfurling crises like climate change.

4 of 637 comments (clear)

  1. the world was supposed to end years ago by alen · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    according to Al Bore, Greenpeace and dozens of climate models i've read about over the decades. our cities were supposed to have been devastated by super-hurricanes, F5 tornadoes and the rising ocean and these things keep getting pushed back and back

    1. Re:the world was supposed to end years ago by gurps_npc · · Score: -1, Flamebait
      Hm. So let me get this straight. You listen to the media which exaggerates real scientists fears.

      You then ignore what the actual scientists say, instead relying on the exaggerations.

      When the exaggerations don't come to pass, you blame the scientists, instead of the media?

      Or did you actually personally hear Al Gore et. al. speak?

      No? You didn't? You are just mis-remembering wild ass storiies told to you by the media?

      And blaming the scientists as opposed to the media?

      Hm. So basically your own bad logic is a clearer explanation of the problem than the article itself.

      --
      excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
    2. Re:the world was supposed to end years ago by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Well, the problem is that the premise of this article is that the author somehow is superhuman and sees threats to humanity that the common plebs can't observe because of their inferior mental capabilities. The idea that brains might be better at detecting direct threats to the individual rather than the herd isn't that controversial and further studies on the subject could be interesting.

      Not only that but there are actually a lot of people who are very perceptive of long term threats. These people typically suffer from various forms of anxiety disorders and/or various chondrias. The worst ones typically hang out at 911truth.org, infowars.com, or prisonplanet.com, constantly pester the bilderberg group, and believe that there's an active global conspiracy by completely imagined groups like NWO or Illuminati.

    3. Re:the world was supposed to end years ago by NemoinSpace · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      Well, look. We had a choice between Al Gore and Jesus Christ. You sure you want to hang your hat on that little snark? I'm pretty sure the 5 Billion Chinese that are reselling you your recycled toxic garbage as drywall don't give a shit about your priceless advice.
      And neither do I. You climate whores gotta realize, we want you to die. Every time i read a global warming article i recharge my A/C and vent the freon into the atmosphere. Then I change the oil in my car and pour it down the storm drain. Then i buy some gas and burn some garbage in the front yard.. sometimes i fill up the bathtub and think about how fucked i would be if i lived in Oakland. Then I laugh.