Thursday, April 03, 2008

(New) science for writers

Guild member Doug Iles contacted me via the Guild office about a report in the New Scientist that anaesthetics could be used to block the formation of harrowing memories.
If you don't read the New Scientist magazine, you just might be missing a wonderful source for believable ideas. The one here just cries out to be used by writers of the crime genres. My writing partner and I are useless at those genres. If we were any good at that kind of stuff, we would hug it to our breasts and hope that no other members of the Guild would find it. So, I've pointed the way to the breadbin. It's up to you to make your own sandwich(es).
You need to be a subscriber to read the article online, but Channel 4 News has a good summary.
Understanding how the process works could lead to a therapy for flushing out distressing memories before post-traumatic stress disorder sets in.

Dr Michael Alkire and Dr Larry Cahill at the University of California say low doses of anaesthetic can impede memory while leaving patients conscious. "One popular misconception about anaesthesia is that unconsciousness occurs immediately," Dr Alkire says.

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