I must admit the term “neuromarketing,” reminds me of science fiction. The original Star Trek comes to mind.

You know, where the flashing lights on the futuristic scanner … in reality are just flashing lights. And the original hand-held medical scanners were salt shakers. Ah, the power of the imagination.   Actors and actresses taking the written word and transforming everyday objects into advanced scientific gadgets not yet invented.

All the audience has to do is suspend reality and believe …

Is the power of the imagination — with some savvy marketing — transforming questionable claims into science?

Over the weekend I read where there’s a company allegedly using brain scans to advise political campaigns. Interesting.

Supposedly they use MRI scans to “scientifically” determine people’s reactions to a particular candidate. I’m not convinced the science is that accurate yet. At least not with an MRI. A different scan, well … maybe.

The areas of the brain are not physically mapped like a roadmap. If I look at a map of the Interstate, yes I can find out where the next exit is. And how far I am from it.

But the areas of the brain are not that precise.  There may be some individual varation making pinpoint accuracy impossible.

Additionally, the areas of the brain overlap, as Dr. Sally Satel notes in the February 2, 2009 issue of Forbes notes. She notes that one area of the brain rarely performs only one task.  The same area of the brain may be responsible for multiple emotional responses. Dr. Satel coined the phrase “pseudoneuroscience” to describe the practice of making claims sound scientific by using the term “neuro” in the front of their specialty.

As in neuromarketing.

Neuromarketing reminds me of a course I took once. Billed as an “easy course” (it wasn’t that easy). Because it was given in May and June some of my fellow students dubbed it “Neurogolf.”  So when I hear the term neuro obviously tacked on to the beginning of another word, my first reaction is to stifle a laugh.

Dr. Satel’s full article can be found here.