- Magnetic resonance scans of brains as people are offered money to renounce beliefs
- 'Mundane' beliefs such as 'I am a tea drinker' dealt with by one area
- More 'sacred' beliefs are dealt with in the part of the brain that deals with 'right' and 'wrong'
- Politicians who use 'rewards' to persuade people could have it wrong
Selling your soul? Scientists found that 'core' beliefs such as national identity and religion are dealt with in a different part of the brain from beliefs we might change, such as our choice in soft drinks
A brain-imaging study found that some beliefs are sacred - and that that we deal with those beliefs with an entirely separate part of the brain.
While people are prepared to 'sell out' some beliefs, there remains a core set of values that we won't abandon, even for hard cash.
When dealing with 'strong' beliefs such as national identity and religion, a brain scan reveals activity in an area of the brain used to tell right from wrong.
More mundane beliefs that a person might be prepared to 'sell out' are dealt with elsewhere.
The finding hints that politicians who hope to offer rewards to the public to 'persuade' them of new ideas could be on the wrong track.
In neurological terms at least, some beliefs have no price.
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