Science

I've got some housecleaning going on here, as well as popping in to see what's up around here...

But one thing I'm wondering about... would these brain regions (frontal/temporal/parietal) show these same signs at the beginning of life? Is there a way to view and measure them before birth... or in childhood? We know that kids who abuse and kill small animals tend to grow up as psychopaths and sociopaths who do great harm to society around here... and are more likely to murder/kill someone in adulthood. If these types of "brain abnormalities" show up before... or even shortly after... birth, is there a way to turn the situation around and correct it before too many years (and behaviors) show themselves?

Second, but linked to the first... is this brain region subject more to nature or to nurture? The enlarged amygdala present in conservative, cruelty-first brains is at least partially enhanced by family, friends, and environment the person is subjected to on an ongoing basis. Is the same true of this brain region? What kind of treatments could be devised to shrink the amygdala and grow the cortex in these "fronto" regions?

I'm not going to be around to see what gets one and how, but we ARE going to have to finally discuss some sort of treatment plans for these types of individuals. Magas aren't going to just crawl under a rock once they're dear leader is gone. We have to find some way to "deprogram" them and fit them firmly into society with civilized behavior. We don't want to be cruel... we're democrats and generally empathetic people. But we will have to find a way to bring these people back to the path of civilized society... because the only other options are to either ignore them (and we're seeing now what that brings)... or deport them to a country, etc., all of their own, for example. It's something my head turns to thinking about when I need a break from all the current cruelty.