Quote Originally Posted by thir View Post
True for all of us. With many things the official Western world of science sneers at various treaments, but in many cases, after a while, when properly investigated, they find out why it works.
And then it is incorporated into scientific medicine! That's what I've been saying. The problems arise when, after thorough study, the scientists not only cannot figure out HOW something works, but can't even prove that it DOES work, at least any better than a placebo.

Acupuncture does work as it stimulates a natural pain killer, scientists find
Which is quite true. But it doesn't work in the way that it's proponents claim it works. And it doesn't necessarily do many of the other things it's claimed to do. A punch in the eye can trigger endorphins, too. That doesn't mean it's a good idea to use it for pain relief.

I guess it depends on what exactly is meant by 'hard-wired'. Lately it seems to be used by anyone to prove their point, and so the meaning of it (if any) is completely watered down.
Can you define what you mean by it for me?
As I understand it, something hard-wired into our brains is something which has developed through evolution, passed down through generations in our DNA. One thing to remember, though, is that this does NOT necessarily mean it's beneficial to survival. There are many bad mutations which are passed down, probably just as many as good mutations. All it means is that either the mutation was not necessarily inimical to survival, or that it was possibly necessary for survival at one time, under certain conditions.