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Mental mapping project kicks off in Japan206

Perhaps the most controversial
feature of the project is Macer’s claimthat the number of ideas is finite, ahypothesis that he says can be testedby the creation of the mental map,
but several participants were doubtfulthat this could be provenscientifically. Frank J Leavitt(Ben Gurion University, Israel)said: “We can never predict
what the ideas are going to betomorrow . . . imagine trying tomap the human thoughts before
the Bible was written or before
Einstein discovered his theoryof relativity. It seems very
presumptuous to think that wecan predict the great thoughts ofthe future.” In response, Macer
asserted that the map could
expand as new ideas werediscovered.
Equally
problematicisMacer’s ambition to map thetotality of human ideas. Margaret E
Sleeboom (International Institute for
Asian Studies, Leiden, Netherlands)
pointed out the danger of removing
ideas from their context. “The mental
map has too much pretension. It
pretends to reflect all the ideas there
are, pretends to be democratic, andthat’s what it’s not. There will always
be someone who will be creating thecategories and choosing which ideas
will be used”, she said. Several
participants, however, expressed
support for Macer’s attempt, whether
it ultimately succeeds or not, as aheuristic tool allowing people toclarify their ideas. Others suggested
that limiting the map to specificsituations might create a practical
tool for resolving certain moraldilemmas.
Macer brought the conference
to a close saying that despite thedifficulty involved in making ahuman mental map, the attempt wasworthwhile. “We have to find a newparadigm . . . if you just stay withyour current methodologies anddisciplines, I would challenge thosepeople that you’ll be sitting aroundwith the same old ideas. We have tocreate new ideas”, he said.
Courtesy of Darryl Macer

What would a map of every single
dilemma of whether or not to have anhuman idea look like? Darryl Macer,abortion. Many things would go
associate professor at the Institutethrough her mind: on the one hand,of Biological Sciences at Tsukuba
she might feel that it would be better
University in Japan, unveiled afor the fetus to be born, an idea that
preliminary model at the 8thcould be mapped close to the “love ofInternational Tsukuba Bioethics
Roundtable meeting (Feb 15–18,2003). Macer advocates thecreation of a human mental map toillustrate the diversity of ideas bothwithin and between cultures and tohelp bioethics policy making
by taking into account thesedifferences. A map could help
individuals solve moral dilemmas,
says Macer, by allowing them tovisualise and consider all theirideas.
The first model of the“behaviourome”, as Macer calls it,
is a box, each side of which is agrid. One side of the box is labelled
Thinking inside the box“memories”, the opposite side
“hopes”, the top is “love of others”,others” side of the box. On the otherand the bottom “self love”: the front
hand, she might remember her own
and back of the box are “loving life”
unhappy childhood, an idea thatand “love of good”. The box itself
could be mapped close to therepresents the totality of ideas with“memories” side. Her individual ideas
each point on the grid representing
could be linked to form a strand
one idea. The placement of ideas
which could then be comparedwithin the box depends on theirwith strands formed by the ideas ofrelation to the concepts represented byother individuals facing a similar
the six sides. The box contains strings
dilemma.
of multicoloured lights, each one
At the beginning of the conference,representing a chain of ideas.
Macer called for a discussion on how
In addition, Macer has divided
to proceed to the next step of hisideas into nine categories: conproject and make his model a reality.
ceptualisation of physical objects;
However, conference participants werepsychological meanings of images
more concerned with the pros and cons
associated with objects, like colours;of trying to create such a map. The
memories; plans for both short-term
diverse, international group ofand long-term future; intention toprofessors, medical doctors, students,
modify behaviour of self; intention toand scientists had varied opinions, but
modify behaviour of surrounding
none supported the project without
people and the environment; processreservation. Some suggested that theing of sensory states; inhibition
three-dimensional map was too limitedof responses based on immediate
to contain ideas such as spirituality.
evolutionary benefit; and interactive
One participant suggested that lights ofconceptualisation of ideas in a
uniform brightness did not represent
community-based response. In his
the different intensity of ideas, andmodel, each type of idea would beothers thought that some ideas might
represented by a different colour,
not fit neatly on to discrete points
hence the multicoloured string ofwithin the box. One scientist alsolights.
pointed out that there was no room
To explain his model, Macer used
for physical-science ideas within thethe example of a woman facing thesix parameters.

Kim Akashi

THE LANCET Neurology Vol 2 April 2003

http://neurology.thelancet.com

For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.