« on: March 11, 2012, 07:02:29 PM »
A common heart disease drug may have the unusual side-effect of combating racism, a new study suggests.Volunteers given the beta-blocker, used to treat chest pains and lower heart rates, scored lower on a standard psychological test of "implicit" racist attitudes.
They appeared to be less racially prejudiced at a subconscious level than another group treated with a "dummy" placebo pill.
Scientists believe the discovery can be explained by the fact that racism is fundamentally founded on fear.
Propranolol acts both on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions such as heart rate, and the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses. The drug is also used to treat anxiety and panic.
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"Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality. Given the key role that such implicit attitudes appear to play in discrimination against other ethnic groups, and the widespread use of propranolol for medical purposes, our findings are also of considerable ethical interest."
More bullsht "science". Racism is not founded on fear, it's founded on disgust.
Logged
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain
"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"
