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circle:toattractfunding,researcherstendtoproduceeasilypublishableresults,includingeyecatchingvisualizationsandimages.Atthesametime,these
practicesreactuponthelaboratorypractices,encouragingresearchonnotsoneurologicallyrelevantbutpopularissues.
Theneurobiologicalturniscertainlynotacompleteturnaround,arevolution.Nevertheless,neurobiologisationandthecreationofthebiotechnicalcerebral
subjectarepartofacreepingevolution.Thediagnosticequipmentusedinpsychologystillprimarilyconsistsofoldfashionedinstruments(e.g.mooddiaries)
thatusecategorizationsandstatisticalmethodstostandardizeparticularfeelings,moodsandbehavioursintooneuniversaldiagnosis.Comparably,fMRIbased
liedetectionsoftwareisveryrarelyusedincourt.Nevertheless,problemsofneurobiologicalfindingsandtheirapplicationsneedtobetackledbeforetheyare
fullyestablished.Eventheoldfashionedinstrumentschangethesubjectbychangingtheirconductofliving.Furthermore,thediagnosticequipmentof
psychologyisalsousedasabasisforresearchonbraindiseases.Whensubjectsaretobeselectedforabrainimagingstudyonobsessivecompulsivedisorder
(OCD),thecriterionisadiagnosisbasedonthemostfamouspsychologicaltestforOCD,theYBOCS.Ifacourtconsidersusingliedetectionithastoquestion
thenotionthatthetruthishiddenunconsciouslyandbearthefactinmindthatliedetectionworksbestforconfessions.Unfortunately,theroleofmodels,
methods,andtechnicaldevicesisgenerallyunderestimated.Quitethecontrary:inneuromarketingandneuroeconomicstheassumptionofbeingabletoside
stephumansmessysubjectivity(Wells2008)andlettingbrainwavesspeakdirectlyoutweighstheawarenessoftheconstructednessofneuroscientific
knowledge.
Afterallthis,whatshouldSTSperspectivesonNeurosciencebelikecriticism,cooperation,orcollaboration?Consideringthediscussioninthepanelin
Trento,IthinkSTSperspectivesshouldbeveryflexibleandchangetheirrolesstrategically.STSwouldthenadapttothefunctioningofitsobjectwhich
consistsofnetworkswithinwhichtheobjectsofneurosciencearemingling.Thedefinitionofthesocialcannotbelefttoneurosciencealone.Itwouldlikewise
benegligenttoclaimsovereigntyforsocialsciencesintherealmofthesocial.Rather,STSshouldconstantlywatchandanalyzethedevelopmentandevolution
ofneuroscienceobjectsandpracticestobereadytointerveneinneurobiologisation.Whethertocriticise,cooperateorcollaboratehastobeasituational
decision.Staytuned,STS!
PanelOrganizers:
AndyBalmer(Sheffield)
DesFitzgerald(London)
MartynPickersgill(Edinburgh)
Participants:
JohannesBruder(Basel/Lucerne)
ChoonKeyChekar(Cardiff)
LottaHautamki(Helsinki)
TorstenHeinemann(Frankfurt)
PimKlaasen(Amsterdam)
PaulMartin(Nottingham)
SvenjaMatusall(Zrich)
SigridSchmitz(Vienna)
TanjaSchneiderandSteveWoolgar(Oxford)
References
Doidge,Norman.2007.TheBrainthatChangesItself:StoriesofPersonalTriumphfromthefrontiersofbrainscience.NewYork.
Pickersgill,M.D.,CunninghamBurley,S.andMartin,P.(forthcoming2011)ConstitutingNeurologicSubjects:Neuroscience,Subjectivity,andtheMundane
SignificanceoftheBrain,Subjectivity(specialeditiononNeuroscienceandSubjectivity)
Wells,Jennifer.2008.TheBrainGuywantstogetinsideyourhead:Areyoupayingattention?Areyouengaged?Areyourememberingwhatyousee?
http://www.neurofocus.com/pdfs/TorontoGlobe_Bob.pdf.
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