Sam Barnett is a 26-year-old hedge fund chief executive and pro tennis player, and also a PhD student studying neuroscience in marketing at Northwestern. His current research includes monitoring people's brains as they watch presidential debates. That's where CNN's Brian Stelter caught up with him. Barnett was showing a room full of brain-monitored Democrats, Republicans, and independents one of the Republican presidential debates, and one thing stood out pretty clearly: Everyone's neural activity shot up when Donald Trump was talking.
"Everyone in the room is sharing some sort of neural bond," Barnett said. "Everyone is feeling the same kind of attention, the same kind of underlying passion, at least." Trump led audience engagement among everyone — Democrats, Republicans, independents, women — except men; Marco Rubio engaged men slightly more than Trump. Barnett compared the Trump effect to putting dogs in TV ads. "People of all different walks of life like seeing a dog in a commercial," he said. "It's cute and engaging and interesting, and, you know, maybe people are feeling similarly about Donald Trump." More realistically, Stelter said it probably reflected Trump's skills honed over a decade of hosting a reality TV program. You can watch Barnett demonstrate his research below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 12, 2024Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - tips for Mom, worm regards, and more
-
5 brain-busting cartoons about RFK Jr.Cartoons Artists take on candidate suitability, the Kennedy family, and more
-
Right to roam: the battle to access England's green spacesThe Explainer A battle is being fought over access to England's green spaces
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aidSpeed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spiesSpeed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrikeSpeed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claimsSpeed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claimsSpeed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aidSpeed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of warSpeed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picksSpeed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
