For a great look at how scientific research is often pitifully (perhaps willfully?) misunderstood by politicians, read this . Warning: If you are anything like me, it will make you sad and angry.

New Scientist published a look at recent research into synesthesia , a neurologically based condition of mixed sensations. For synesthetes, a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., vision) automatically elicits a sensation or experience in another modality (e.g., hearing). It can also manifest as a perception of a form (like a letter or phoneme) inducing an unusual perception in the same modality (like a color). What is happening in the brains of synesthetes? One hypothesis is that synesthesia occurs because of cross-activation between nearby brain areas. The cross-wiring could be due to a failure of synaptic pruning, a normal developmental process that refines and eliminates connections in the brain. Neuronal pruning is necessary in the months after birth, as sensory experiences strengthen some brain connections and let others wither. Research by Daphne. . . Read More