Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: yovav on 06/07/2020 19:04:55
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Is it possible to check the connection between getting pleasure and the chances of being infected with the corona virus?
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Yes.
For example, I derive a lot of pleasure from the fact that I can now work at home and don't' have to waste 2 hours commuting each day.
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2 hours commuting each day
That would be a negative correlation: more pleasure = less virus.
For others who enjoy the mosh pit at concerts, there would be a positive correlation: More pleasure = more virus.
Overall, I would have to say that for most people who are frustrated with some degree of lockdown, the correlation is:
Less pleasure = less virus
So, overall, a positive correlation.
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Yes.
For example, I derive a lot of pleasure from the fact that I can now work at home and don't' have to waste 2 hours commuting each day.
My intention is to examine the brain's pleasure center and its connection to the chances of infection.
For example, in a restaurant when the pleasure center works, chances are growing.
I am not suggesting this is just asking if it can be tested experimentally
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Overall, I would have to say that for most people who are frustrated with some degree of lockdown, the correlation is:
Less pleasure = less virus
So, overall, a positive correlation.
I intend, for example, to examine the limbic activity of this system and the chances of infection with the corona virus
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Stress can weaken the immune system, so it seems more likely than not that happy people would be at least somewhat less likely to get infected than unhappy people (all other factors being held equal, of course).
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My intention is to examine the brain's pleasure center and its connection to the chances of infection.
For example, in a restaurant when the pleasure center works, chances are growing.
I am not suggesting this is just asking if it can be tested experimentally
Restaurant would be a poor place to test as you cannot control either pleasure or exposure.
You would need to set up a laboratory or controlled environment where some are exposed others not, and some have pleasure and others not.
Ideally you would also use a brain scanner to see if the pleasure centres are activated.
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Since the only vectors for COVID are edible bats and other humans, you have to narrow your definition of pleasure to enjoying the company of crowds of strangers and/or eating bats. Then you will find a strong correlation.
My pleasures are the three Fs: flying, sex, and consuming good food and drink at home. None of these involve crowds of strangers and I have too much respect for fellow mammalian aviators to eat a bat. Hence an equally strong anticorrelation. I also enjoy playing jazz but it makes little difference whether I'm playing to the usual audience of a man and a dog or just abusing the piano in private.
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Restaurant would be a poor place to test as you cannot control either pleasure or exposure.
You would need to set up a laboratory or controlled environment where some are exposed others not, and some have pleasure and others not.
Ideally you would also use a brain scanner to see if the pleasure centres are activated.
Thanks for the answer, I would be very interested if anyone would take this study into their own hands.
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Since the only vectors for COVID are edible bats and other humans, you have to narrow your definition of pleasure to enjoying the company of crowds of strangers and/or eating bats. Then you will find a strong correlation.
My pleasures are the three Fs: flying, sex, and consuming good food and drink at home. None of these involve crowds of strangers and I have too much respect for fellow mammalian aviators to eat a bat. Hence an equally strong anticorrelation. I also enjoy playing jazz but it makes little difference whether I'm playing to the usual audience of a man and a dog or just abusing the piano in private.
I would check if there is a high activity in the nucleus of the accumbens, we are more exposed to the virus.
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Thanks for the answer, I would be very interested if anyone would take this study into their own hands.
I think that it is unlikely.
Anyway, it would be unethical to steal your idea, I suggest you design and sponsor the experiment.
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I suggest you design and sponsor the experiment.
:)))
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I would check if there is a high activity in the nucleus of the accumbens, we are more exposed to the virus.
Why do you think there would be?
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Is it possible to check the connection between getting pleasure and the chances of being infected with the corona virus?
Links and correlations can often be 2-way (or 3-way), and often not in the direction you expect.
For example:
Few virus symptoms = Little loss of pleasure
Moderate virus symptoms = Moderate loss of pleasure
Severe virus symptoms = Severe loss of pleasure
Fatal virus infection = Death
See: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/correlation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation
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I would check if there is a high activity in the nucleus of the accumbens, we are more exposed to the virus.
Why do you think there would be?
Just an intuitive thought.
But more interesting to me is whether it is testable.
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Links and correlations can often be 2-way (or 3-way), and often not in the direction you expect.
My intention was to test whether a condition of pleasure where, for example, there is a high activity in the nucleus, may increase susceptibility to infection with the virus
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My intention is to examine the brain's pleasure center and its connection to the chances of infection.
For example, in a restaurant when the pleasure center works, chances are growing.
One of the more bizarre symptoms of this coronavirus is loss of taste and smell, which can last up to a month.
- Since taste and smell constitute a large part of the enjoyment of food and drink at a restaurant, I would suggest:
Reduction in pleasure at the restaurant = increased chance of infection by the virus
Links and correlations can often be 2-way (or 3-way)
How about including some other variables in the study, like:
1. Prevalence of virus in the community
2. Degree of community lockdown
3. An individual's pleasure at a restaurant
4. Chance that an individual will have the virus
I think you will find that:
- (4) The probability of an individual being infected is strongly related to (1) Prevalence of virus in the community
- (3) An individual's pleasure at a restaurant is strongly related to (2) Degree of community lockdown
- (2) Degree of community lockdown is strongly related to (1) Prevalence of virus in the community
You may find that there is a relatively weak relationship between (3) An individual's pleasure at a restaurant and (4) chance that an individual will have the virus
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Since taste and smell constitute a large part of the enjoyment of food and drink at a restaurant
I think not. Most of the smell is from other people and their food.
Chef son explained pub food to me some years ago; "Same as you cook at home, with more salt, pepper, garlic or sugar. By the time they have had a pre-dinner drink and inhaled a bit of smoke, their taste buds have switched off." Further up market, the pleasure is in paying over the odds for an obscure wine.
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Just an intuitive thought.
Based on what reasoning?
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You may find that there is a relatively weak relationship between (3) An individual's pleasure at a restaurant and (4) chance that an individual will have the virus
You may be right in your assumptions but like anything that has not yet been proven, days will tell.
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...inhaled a bit of smoke, their taste buds have switched off
A good reason to ban smoking in restaurants and pubs... the smoke reduces my pleasure in a restaurant!
Of course, banning smoking reduces the pleasure of the smokers.
...so it's probably neutral in the effect on COVID infections.