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Re:Origins of the myth of dopamine as the ‘pleasure chemical’ by chiefalchemist on Sunday April 15, 2018 @09:48AM (#16842610)
What came first, the chemical or the choice?

Wouldn't it be the former, with the latter forever playing catch up to the lead? That is, choice is implemented via chemicals.

Re:Origins of the myth of dopamine as the ‘pleasure chemical’ by henrieri on Sunday April 15, 2018 @10:50AM (#16842883)
Human composition of chemicals has evolved over a long period of evolution. Choices stem from this composition. The composition however is not perfect. It has evolved by random mutations with best mutations surviving the environment. Composition is made to learn which decisions and choices come to a good outcome however it is not perfect (falling pray to drugs) or it does not always adaot to fast evolving environment (being addicted to social media).

But the decision and choice itself comes from chemicals of course. It is like asking which was first, the bits in the computer or the calculation it produced.

Re:Origins of the myth of dopamine as the ‘pleasure chemical’ by Erlich_Bachman on Monday April 16, 2018 @09:00AM (#16848620)
There is no scientific answer to that question. Neither of those things exist in separation in reality. They are only separated in our mind.

Some questions can be answered with science, others cannot. Both types of questions have meaning.