Podcasts Government Analysis The Democratic Brain

The Democratic Brain

Published: Oct. 2, 2023, 8 p.m.

Our brain is a wonderful machine, but it can also short-circuit. What happens to us when emotions and politics intersect, when the democratic, listening brain is cut off, or when we succumb to \u2018hate speech\u2019? Research using the latest brain scanners shows that the older part of the brain called the amygdala is \u2018triggered\u2019 by emotional responses out of proportion to the impacting stimulus. So, perhaps are we after wolves in human clothing? Not necessarily; we have also developed the frontal cortex which the scans show is stimulated by rational argument. What can scanning the brain reveal about our political affiliations? Can the field of neuro-politics improve political discourse or leave us open to manipulation?

Presenter: Matt Qvortrup\nProducer: Bob Howard\nEditor: Clare Fordham

Contributors: \nBarbara Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge\nDr Darren Schreiber, Senior Lecturer at Exeter University\nSkyler Cranmer, Associate Professor at Ohio State University\nDahlia Scheindlin, political consultant and public opinion researcher\nDr Liya Yu, Columbia University