Pothead Ph.D. - This is most definitely not a cautionary tale

Re:Pothead Ph.D. - This is most definitely not a cautionary ... by ajkirwin on Monday July 07, 2008 @06:20PM (#239254)

In rats. And nerve cells in a dish. And that's only the neural firing patterns.

There isn't any actual proof that this HAS a detrimental effect. Did they give THC to the rats and then ask them to memorize some information, then quiz them later?

Hell, do that to a few users of cannabis. Then, perhaps, real results will be forthcoming.

Neuroscience is still very new, and a lot of things are ascribed without true understanding, to various actions within the brain. Just take a look at the farce of fMRIs, for instance.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Pothead Ph.D. - This is most definitely not a cautionary ... by a-priori on Tuesday July 08, 2008 @08:43AM (#239804)

You clearly know little about psychological research techniques if you don't know how they test rats for memory. Ever heard of the term "rat in a maze"?

And, what do you mean by "farce of fMRIs"?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Pothead Ph.D. - This is most definitely not a cautionary ... by ajkirwin on Wednesday July 09, 2008 @08:14AM (#241033)

I meant complex memory, not simply pathing repetition that can be replicated with an EEPROM and a few lines of code.

And by that, I mean, how people are using activity in areas of the brain to say that a person is 'x' or what thinking about 'y'. It's phrenology for a new age.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Pothead Ph.D. - This is most definitely not a cautionary ... by a-priori on Wednesday July 09, 2008 @02:52PM (#241511)

Define "complex memory". Do you mean episodic memory?

fMRI only shows correlation, not causation; any neuroscientist knows this. To prove a causative relationship, you need to use other methods (lesions or TCMS, for example). Show me an example of what you're talking about.

[ Parent | on HN ]