Nita Farahany - This is Your Brain on Law - Part 1 of 2

[Hesam0000]

She got appointed to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues by President Barack Obama.

[fctchk]

1:48 If Larry is not going to lend an ear to her smartness he could at least lend an eye to her hawtness.....what is it with some of us nerds?

[floydstinkyboy]

she has a really good point. law is supposed to be scientific. All the rules are geared toward factual inquiry - same as in the lab.  Scientists are called to testify as expert witnesses every day. lawyers need scientists to prove and explain the facts. scientists need to speak up and donate their time for amicus projects!

[riversonthemoon]

"law is supposed to be scientific"

Unfortunately courts involve lawyers who are meant to presuppose a particular point of view and do whatever they can to convince a judge or jury that is is true. This is sometimes at odds with factual inquiry, especially regarding science at the frontiers of knowledge, where the science may be in dispute.

[kurtu5]

Sounds like those scientists actually didn't know either way and their unwillingness to comment reflects their uncertainty.

That's the soft "sciences" for you.  Cargo cult science.

As a physicist to comment about blunt objects striking the head and you will easily get thousands of comments.

[hymnofashes]

Well of COURSE there's a genetic predisposition to violence! Men are more violent than women; is gender not a genetic difference? But there's also certainly a poverty difference! Both gender and socioeconomic background far outweigh how much testosterone you happen to secrete, but neither can be used as a defense in court. Most of those guys just get involved in boxing.

Ridiculous.