Though the idea arouses all my sympathies, the result as songs by the amygdaloids are a disgrace for both communities of scientists and music lovers. How would Joseph LeDoux would have reacted if I had come with formless misinterpretations of his works of neuroscience, turned into songs or poetry, no matter how elegantly phrased, though saying anything but what he meant ?
Their songs are so bad and so badly played, that it leads exactly to the opposite of what they were intended to provide us. The credits of the discoveries vanish as we try to dispel the embarrassment for our ears, and luckily nothing goes so far as to cross our eardrums to reach our brains. Worst than that, it is difficult to keep sympathies or respect for someone whose necessary intuition and self-consciousness for good science, seem strangely lacking in the musical exercise. The alternative explanation is maybe worse, if self-consciousness and intuition are used while practicing neuroscience ( what seems the case ), then their lack observed in the writing and playing the songs reveal how much LeDoux and Co must patronize music and music lovers. Once more, and fortunately very rare among scientists, example of vicious side effect of the hubris of specialization, usually noticed more often within philosophers or religious communities.

I can’t wait for the soon coming new books of Brian Greene’s recipes, Lisa Randall’s suggestions for gardening and Surfing for the beginners by David Chalmers, all in my shoes for Christmas brought to me by Daniel Dennett, who obviously will meet less difficulties to fulfil his new job than his fellow scientists.

Cheers,
Melinda