When we showed subjects the words “Democrat,” “Republican” and “independent,” they exhibited high levels of activity in the part of the brain called the amygdala, indicating anxiety. The two areas in the brain associated with anxiety and disgust — the amygdala and the insula — were especially active when men viewed “Republican.”
This is hilarious. Neuroscientists and political scientists have now studied what brain activity shows about voter preferences in a group of swing voters. They've actually found the beginnings of a method for predicting the outcome of the 2008 election. The study has been done seriously. The results are interesting. But the accompanying slide show in the New York Times -- with its graphic depictions of the findings -- is hilarious.
