Phrenology is the nineteenth century study of the shapes of human skulls to infer brain structure and thereby the native character and aptitudes of people. It is now considered a discredited pseudoscience. Similar analysis is still used by modern science, but it is never called phrenology. The first time that I noticed that something like phrenology had crept back into modern thought was while reading about a Soviet attempt to domesticate the Siberian silver fox by selective breeding. The breeders chose those foxes that were the least aggressive and that were the most tolerant of human handling. After many generations they developed a population of foxes that behaved more like domestic dogs. This new breed also began to look more like domestic animals. Another modern inquiry that even more closely resembles phrenology is the comparison of Neanderthal skulls to those of modern humans. One feature of a Neanderthal brain is a large visual cortex that is presumed to accommodate the large eyes in their large eye sockets. Other smaller brain regions are cited to explain why Neanderthals organized in smaller social groups.
OT: Just saw your comment on OG about the "immediate and critical importance to discover and to implement techniques, which will prevent a small but effective class of human...”.
I think something we can do would be to create a new discourse, one that engages. That would be a good leverage to cease from being passive spectators of our own demise, to active participants in shaping our destiny...
Thanks for this.
OT: Just saw your comment on OG about the "immediate and critical importance to discover and to implement techniques, which will prevent a small but effective class of human...”.
I think something we can do would be to create a new discourse, one that engages. That would be a good leverage to cease from being passive spectators of our own demise, to active participants in shaping our destiny...