Letters: Our reptile brains

Re “Ancient brains, modern dilemmas,” Opinion, Aug. 12

I enjoyed this article immensely, so much so that my cortex directed me to read it carefully — twice. Cole’s connection between disbelief and apathy about global warming and the reptilian brain was of particular interest to me.

Because these attitudes tend to fall along party lines, I quickly thought (perhaps with my lizard brain) that the party whose members often eschew global warming science should be renamed the Reptilian Party. My cortex informed me that this was a pleasant alliteration on that party’s name and might be a more accurate appellation.

It would behoove all of us, however, no matter what our party affiliation, to take Cole’s closing message to heart and unravel “the idiocy in the elaborate and too often dangerous military, corporate, civic and personal structures we’ve erected.”

Lida Daves-Schneider

Upland

Cole represents the part of America that cannot understand or cope with the tough decisions the other side has made. Instead of honoring the deliberation or trying to imagine possible worst outcomes, she denigrates under the cloak of neuroscience with labels such as stupid and dumb.

I’m surprised she did not close with the pitch, “Modern brains vote Democratic in 2012.”

Mark Aaron

Santa Monica

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