Category Archives: Neuroscience

Attachment and loss

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Quentin

I dropped in on my old friend Denise for a cup of coffee. What I saw was a marvellous example of human nature. She was looking after her grandniece, a child under two. I simply watched. In between our conversation … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, evolution, Neuroscience | 16 Comments

RU a cannibal?

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Quentin

Are you a cannibal? You might very well be. Imagine that you happen to belong to a cannibal tribe. You have been taught from infancy that the only way to secure the tribe is to eat its enemies. Doing so … Continue reading →

Posted in Moral judgment, Neuroscience | 12 Comments

REMEMBER REMEMBER

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Quentin

Some years ago I wrote a piece in the Catholic Herald on revision. I think it worked – if an email I received from a reader is anything to go by. Here’s what he wrote. “I just wanted to let … Continue reading →

Posted in Neuroscience, Quentin queries | 4 Comments

Guilty men and innocent women

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Quentin

For several weeks now we have had news stories about men making unwanted approaches to women. And of course we condemn them, particularly when the male is in a senior position and can influence the fortunes of others. Interestingly, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, evolution, Moral judgment, Neuroscience | Tagged | 24 Comments

Are you selectable?

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Quentin

Most of us have attended at least one selection interview in our time, and we may well have been selected. As well as getting the job we benignly approve the good judgment of the selectors. And there is good reason … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, evolution, Neuroscience | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Just write it down

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Quentin

Many years ago when I was working as a marriage counsellor I was faced by complex patterns of issues within a marriage. Not only were there different issues but these interlocked in several ways. How to sort all this out … Continue reading →

Posted in Neuroscience, Quentin queries | 12 Comments

Am I being critical?

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Quentin

I have a young relative who is severely dyslectic. Now well into his twenties, he is a top designer currently working on a major prestige project in London. That may seem an unlikely career, but I know why because he … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, Neuroscience, Quentin queries | 11 Comments

Science and philosophy

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Quentin

Over supper a few nights ago I had a conversation with Damien (not his name) which roamed around the relationship between science and philosophy. Damien is a young man highly educated in the sciences and with, I suspect, an IQ … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Catholic Herald columns, Church and Society, Moral judgment, Neuroscience, Philosophy | Tagged | 12 Comments

Who am I?

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Quentin

Our minds are very full at the moment. We are in a process of election, and I publish this just a few hours before we know the answers. We also face the issue of the security of our society, following … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, evolution, Neuroscience, Quentin queries | 10 Comments

Are we animals?

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Quentin

Did you watch “Spy in the Wild” on BBC1 on 12 January? It was the most intriguing wild life programme I have ever seen. It was based on using animal robots which could be placed among different species – giving … Continue reading →

Posted in evolution, Moral judgment, Neuroscience, Quentin queries | 27 Comments