No, but surprising though it may seem, it is actually being worked on. The work of Susan Blackmore on memes and consciousness is only one example. Some will probably think it demeaning even to think about the human spirit in this way, but EVERYTHING is fair game in science. In the end, the facts must speak for themselves.

Maybe, if you find too close an examination of love disturbing, you'll agree that an examination of hate might help us to control it.

Alice, much as I agree with what you say about belief, you can't use etymology to derive the meaning of a word. The concept of "science" has moved a long way since the word was coined. In fact, it is a meme that has evolved....