You are not your brain scan! Critical reporting on the mind sciencesYou are not your brain scan! Critical reporting on the mind sciences
All In The Mind
The Brain. It's been called the final frontier of science. Colourful fMRI scans light up our TV screens and newspapers promising to reveal the secrets of the psyche. From the search for the brain's God Spot, to the rapid rise of neuroeconomics, neuromarketing and neuroethics - makes for sexy headlines - but have journalists become blinded by the lights and allure of the brain scan? Are we telling too simplistic a story about the human self? Join Natasha Mitchell at the World Conference of Science Journalists with award-winning science journalists Deborah Blum (USA) and Jonica Newby, and Professor Fred Mendelsohn, Director of the Howard Florey Institute.
46:26•28 Apr 2007
You Are Not Your Brain Scan: Rethinking Mind Science Headlines
Episode Overview
- Eye-catching brain images can make complex science seem simpler and more certain than it actually is, especially when studies have small sample sizes.
- Journalists and scientists share responsibility for avoiding exaggerated claims, such as implying biology is destiny or that scans can perfectly detect lies or future crime.
- Brain research highlights continuous interaction between genes and environment, challenging strict nature versus nurture stories and simple behavioural labels.
- Plasticity studies show that the adult brain can reorganise after injury, suggesting wider possibilities for rehabilitation and change over a lifetime.
- Language and framing matter in science reporting, and shifting terms like "defect" to "variation" can reduce stigma while still conveying important findings.
“"When we present something like fMRI as this sort of gee whizzy kind of thing that we can use to do lie detectors, we miss what's its real power... it helps us figure out who we are."”
What drives someone to seek a clearer picture of the mind without getting dazzled by colourful brain scans? This episode of All In The Mind takes that question to the fifth World Conference of Science Journalists, where Natasha Mitchell chats with Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Deborah Blum, TV science reporter Jonica Newby, and neuroscientist Professor Fred Mendelsohn. Together they pick apart our collective obsession with fMRI images, from neuromarketing to lie detection and the hunt for a "God spot".
Jonica jokes about loving brain scans for TV because "you can see something" and describes being scanned multiple times, including for a study on the "science of shopping". Fred offers a reality check, noting that when you see red or blue blobs on a scan, "unless you know what those states were that were compared, the picture itself is fairly meaningless".
Deborah brings in history and ethics, linking today’s brain headlines to earlier genetic hype and warning about ideas like "biology is destiny". She shares how a radio caller challenged her for calling a condition a "genetic defect", prompting her to rethink language and opt for "genetic variation" instead. The panel also discusses brain plasticity, psychopathy research, adolescent behaviour, racism studies, and the temptation to use scans to label people as dangerous or deficient.
Across the conversation, you’ll hear a recurring message: the brain may be fascinating, but simple stories are risky. Small sample sizes, seductive images and catchy headlines can easily hide complexity, exaggerate certainty and gloss over human rights concerns. If you’re interested in addiction, behaviour or mental health, this episode gives you plenty to chew on about how mind science gets reported and what that means for how you see yourself and others.
So next time you spot a glowing brain image in the media, how carefully will you read the story behind it?
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