But it turned out that something interesting was happening inside their brains that allowed them to hold this belief. When they saw the scientifically correct video, blood flow increased to a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, or D.L.P.F.C. The D.L.P.F.C. is located just behind the forehead and is one of the last brain areas to develop in young adults. It plays a crucial role in suppressing so-called unwanted representations, getting rid of those thoughts that aren’t helpful or useful. If you don’t want to think about the ice cream in the freezer, or need to focus on some tedious task, your D.L.P.F.C. is probably hard at work.

Now I want a brain scan, because I suspect that my dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is seriously underdeveloped as I have never had any patience for tedious tasks. Yet I still am an atheist who tries to think scientifically about things. Perhaps I have managed to reverse engineer my intuitions somehow? Only a brain scan will tell for sure. Does anyone know how much they cost?