unfavorable views towards those on the other side.

But is there actually a fundamental biological difference between liberals and conservatives?

On the surface we can see some funny differences like

conservatives like meat and potatoes more while liberals tend to like trying food from other cultures more.

In general conservatives prefer purebred dogs while liberals prefer mixed breeds and liberals are ok with free verse poetry while conservatives prefer it to rhyme.

But as we study more we realize that the differences are much deeper. When put through MRI brain scans,

it turns out that liberals are more likely to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex

which is associated with understanding and monitoring conflict, while conservatives have a larger right amygdala

which helps process fear and anxiety. And that makes sense given the years of research that have shown people tend to become a more conservative

when they feel threatened or afraid.

After 9/11, for example, the u.s. became politically more conservative with studies showing increased support for issues

like national security and military spending. But studies have also found that conservatives and liberals employ different cognitive styles.

Conservatives excel when it comes to more structured and organized problems or questions

whereas liberals tend to be more flexible and less likely to commit errors with questions involving conflicting information and requiring fast reaction times.

One study looking at dorm rooms even found that on average

conservative students rooms were less messy than liberals.

But they also experienced pain in different ways. So much so that one study was able to predict who is liberal or conservative

just by viewing brain scans of them looking at graphic photos containing mutilations.

In this instance liberal brains were more active in the s2 or somatosensory two region

which is normally activated when you're in pain, but also when you see someone else suffering.

It's essentially scientific evidence for the bleeding-heart liberal stereotype

which doesn't mean conservatives are uncaring but that their minds just respond to graphic images differently.

In America this can explain how Democrats and Republicans perceive the world in fundamentally different ways.

It's difficult to grasp how someone on the other side of politics thinks because we tend to overestimate the extent to which our opinions believe some values are normal.

Psychologies refer to this as false consensus bias. For example, if you heard Yanni in Yanni vs

Laurel debate it may have felt that you were the normal one and it was

insane that anyone could be hearing Laurel. Apply this logic to politics and you can see why people have such

polarizing ideas on issues like immigration,

abortion, gun rights etc.

But where do these differences come from? One study revealed that genetics can account for around thirty to forty percent of a person's

political leanings, which may seem like a lot but there are still many other important factors like your environment and

personal experiences which play massive roles in your politics.

Political neuroscience is a relatively new field of study with fascinating results and in a world that's being increasingly characterized by its divisions

perhaps an important aspect of unity involves using neuroscience to better understand each other's differences.

On a lighter note space is a place for liberals and conservatives and nations all over the world come together.

And we actually just made a video where we tried out the latest

space food that astronauts are eating right now. Click here or the description to check it out.

Also, if you want even more science, we have a weekly science podcast, so subscribe to it.

The link is like down there I think and it's called sidenote.