[ExI] EP

[hkhenson]

At 12:26 AM 10/9/2007, James Clement wrote:

>Keith write:
>
> > The constant element is humans carrying stone age
> > psychological baggage.
>
>If the brain can be looked upon as a combination of interconnected computers
>running many programs and subroutines, most of which are inherited from our
>reptile, mammal, and primate ancestors, what can we do to override or
>reprogram these?

You should approach the subject "override or reprogram" with *great* 
caution.  Perhaps some of these long evolved psychological mechanisms 
are useless in the present world, but then again you can't be sure 
and you certainly can't be sure what the future holds.

Take the trait of fighting with great vigor when attacked, or by 
extension when a group sees that it will be attacked, or by even more 
of an extension when a group sees that it is attack neighbors or 
starve next winter.  Rather than edit out these traits, I would try 
to keep them turned off.  Long term this means population growth at 
or below economic growth.  For some cultures birth control has worked 
and for others not.  The places where it has not already are or will 
be problems.

>I haven't been able to keep up with psychpharmacology;
>what's going on to alter the brain chemistry of violent criminals,
>terrorists, etc.?

Virtually nothing.  The problems are not well understood at the brain 
chemistry level.  If they were drug addiction would be a thing of the 
past.  A scientific understanding will be based on evolutionary 
psychology, and that depends on evolution.  At least in the US, 
sensible policy that is based on evolution is politically unlikely.

I may have more to say about this later.

Keith Henson