My job has made me into a TBI truther. Brain injuries are devastating to cognition, self-regulation, and a bevy of other health outcomes. It's linked to a zillion bad social outcomes.
Forget about every other factor that determines human development outcomes: forget about genes, IQ, pollution, whatever. All of that shit is easily washed out by one good fall off of a bike. But unlike genes, we can actually do something about protecting brains.
@cosmiccitizen so: wear a bicycle helmet everywhere?
@niplav Probably excessive.
@cosmiccitizen this was part pf LW discourse in the early 2010s, people argued for wearing a bicycle helmet in the car
"weirdness points"
@niplav I think that a better intervention is reducing routine car-miles. People should understand it's a matter of personal and social de-risking to move their residences, work, and regular appointments closer together and combining car trips.
@cosmiccitizen Counterargument: I've hit my head lots, and had at least 2.5 grown-up-labelled concussions.
- Slammed into stone-wall at high speed with toboggan. (Though is contributed to my aura of destiny, since I had an iconic scar on my forehead for >1y.)
- Fell off tree while climbing, landed on back.
- Fell off my bike (xN).
- TV fell on my head.
- (more)
...Not sure why I said "counterargument". I'm decent at abstract thought, but have a mental-illness-load that rivals Jeanne d'Arc.
>I'm decent at abstract thought
... but we have warrant to infer that you could have been better.
I feel I should just add a little more so that doesn't feel like I'm being curt. Your counterargument seems to indicate that abstract thinking survives head injury, which may be true in a great number of cases, but I think that it's fair to say that there are degrees / extensions of brain health, and it's probably better to be on the "more" side than the "less" side.
@cosmiccitizen oh I'm much on board w prioritizing head-injuries more. I was mostly joking by using myself as "counterexample". I'm ~5% that it had a more or less "pivotal" impact on my life.
My effective altruism project is getting people to
1. HOLD ONTO THE RAILS ON THE STAIRS
2. HOLD ON TO THE RAIL WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE BATH
3. NEVER GET ONTO THE ROAD WHILE DRUNK OR IMPAIRED, INCLUDING ON A BICYCLE