Left Brain/Right Brain

[El Toro]

The "CAS upholds IAAF testo rule" discussion got a bit sidetracked onto TV games and included comments on the purported Left/Right brain explanation of performance. In the spirit of "just the facts", here's some reading matter on the topic:

A Psychology Today outline of origins of the thinking and why it's an inappropriate model for normal people

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/b...ably-never-die

A Huffpost article on the functional MRI work of Jeff Anderson and colleagues at University of Utah, mapping different thought processes:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/right...nked_n_3762322

For those that really want tot dive into Anderson and colleagues' work, or just look at the pretty brain images, their original paper:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ar...l.pone.0071275

[jeremyp]

"One of the most fascinating insights from the split-brain studies was the way the left hemisphere made up stories to explain what the right hemisphere was up to—what Gazzaniga dubbed the “interpreter phenomenon.”

Gee it sounds like politicians! Or Non Vaxxers! Or Conspiracy theorists!

[Helen S]

I prefer eliminating the words theory or theorist. The word theory has a specific definition where it is based in facts that are strictly controlled in how they are arrived at. Either eliminate the use of theory or call them conspiracy fantasies.

[Atticus]

I prefer eliminating the words theory or theorist. The word theory has a specific definition where it is based in facts that are strictly controlled in how they are arrived at. Either eliminate the use of theory or call them conspiracy fantasies.

In science, a theory is just an explanation of why a phenomenon exists. It certainly doesn't have to be right. The 'theory' of gravity has been proven true as far as science can determine.

[Pego]

If anybody is interested in the seminal works of brain's lateralization, Roger Sperry's studies of split brain or MacDonald Critchley's book on parietal lobes are fascinating reading.

[Davidokun]

In science, a theory is just an explanation of why a phenomenon exists. It certainly doesn't have to be right. The 'theory' of gravity has been proven true as far as science can determine.

In my experience, in science we use the terms hypothesis and theory to differentiate between unconfirmed and confirmed explanations. A hypothesis is an unconfirmed explanation, which may or may not be confirmed by observation or experiment. A theory is an explanation that has been confirmed by observation or experiment. Of course, further observation or experiment may invalidate a theory.

[Atticus]

In my experience, in science we use the terms hypothesis and theory to differentiate between unconfirmed and confirmed explanations. A hypothesis is an unconfirmed explanation, which may or may not be confirmed by observation or experiment. A theory is an explanation that has been confirmed by observation or experiment. Of course, further observation or experiment may invalidate a theory.

In Psychology, hypothesis is a prediction, theory is an explanation (but still doesn't need to be right). Same thing.

[18.99s]

Of course, further observation or experiment may invalidate a theory.

And when that happens, the old theory usually doesn't get thrown out entirely. They find that the new theory is accurate to greater precision than the old, and/or that the old theory works except in certain conditions better handled by the new theory. Newton's laws of motion and gravity are good enough to put astronauts on the moon and rovers on Mars, but you need Einstein's theories when you're dealing with stronger gravitational fields like Mercury's orbit around the sun and what happens around black holes.

[Atticus]

and what happens around black holes.

Just like Las Vegas, what happens in Black Holes, stays in Black Holes!

[Davidokun]

And when that happens, the old theory usually doesn't get thrown out entirely. They find that the new theory is accurate to greater precision than the old, and/or that the old theory works except in certain conditions better handled by the new theory.

I agree. Writing "invalidate" was somewhat lazy and imprecise on my part. Perhaps "lead to replacement or refinement of" would have been better.

Newton's laws of motion and gravity are good enough to put astronauts on the moon and rovers on Mars, but you need Einstein's theories when you're dealing with stronger gravitational fields like Mercury's orbit around the sun and what happens around black holes.

Again, I agree. Einstein's theories are also applicable closer to home. For example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) must account for effects of special relativity, and Gravity Probe B confirmed predictions of general relativity.

[TN1965]

A hypothesis is a proposition about individual phenomenon that can be empirically rejected.
A theory is a principled explanation that pulls inter-related hypotheses together.

[Helen S]

A hypothesis is a proposition about individual phenomenon that can be empirically rejected.
A theory is a principled explanation that pulls inter-related hypotheses together.

i rest my case. Not conspiracy “theories,” but rather plain conspiracies or conspiracy fantasies.