pass the magnet

Think morality is one of life’s immutable Truths? Think again – “A person’s moral judgments can be changed almost instantly by delivering a magnetic pulse to an area of the brain near the right ear, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.” (NPR)

It gets funkier.

“The fact that scientists can adjust morality with a magnet may be disconcerting to people who view morality as a lofty and immutable human trait….” Or so says Joshua Greene, a Harvard University shrink. “Moral judgment is just a brain process,” says Monsieur Greene. “That’s precisely why it’s possible for these researchers to influence it using electromagnetic pulses on the surface of the brain.”

The moral of the story (no pun)? Next time you do something seriously tacky, zap your right ear with a burst of electromagnetic juice and feel good about yourself. No more need for those pesky Sunday confessions!

posted by Mudd