By admin, on January 16th, 2012
Imagine…. when you smell a rose, you always taste maple syrup. Or taste cake whenever you say “table.” Or see red every time someone says “Tuesday.” This is synesthesia, a neurologic condition affecting millions of people in which stimulation of one sense automatically and consistently stimulates another. The ancient Greeks named it. Psychophysicist Gustav Fechner and scientist Sir Francis Galton documented it in the late 19th century. Synesthesia research fell out of favor by 1930—then was forgotten until the 1980s.
Author/journalist/synesthete Maureen Seaberg discusses her journey to recognize and understand her expanded sensory wiring—the science, and the impact on thinking and creativity of this fascinating phenomenon.
In her quest to understand why, for example, the letter A is always A for her, Maureen talked with top neuroscientists and quantum physicists, with the co-inventor of the World Wide Web, with a savant, and a Tibetan lama. She collaborated with Dr. William Bushell—a biological/medical anthropologist who is a visiting scholar at MIT and directs the Science of Yoga Project at Tibet House. Synesthetes are often found in the arts—examples include Itzhak Perlman, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Tilda Swinton, Marilyn Monroe—and Maureen spoke with rock stars, rappers, actors, violinists. The result is Tasting the Universe, published last March. Her book features a raft of first-time interviews with synesthetes that include Itzhak Perlman, Billy Joel, and Marian McPartland.
Maureen has become an expert in this mingling of the senses. She moderated international synesthesia workshops in 2010 and 2011 organized by the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She has presented at the American Synesthesia Association Conference at Vanderbilt University, and at New York University. (Maureen’s earlier work has appeared in The New York Times, the Daily News, PBS, and MSNBC among others.)
Continue reading January 26: Tasting the Universe: The Science and Impact of Expanded Sensory Wiring
By admin, on December 21st, 2011  Courtesy of NIMH. Millions in the U.S. suffer from psychological disorders including depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Millions more endure chronic pain. Although drugs are typically used to control symptoms, questionable efficacy and negative side effects have spurred the search for alternative treatment methodologies.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)—which noninvasively administers brief, magnetic pulses to the brain—is one approach. Done in the doctor’s office, pulses are administered by passing high currents through an electromagnetic coil adjacent to a patient’s scalp. They induce an electric field in underlying brain tissue that activates neurons in the relevant brain structure.
Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) involves a small, imperceptible electric current pulsed across the patient’s head in a device that can be used at home. One is the Fisher Wallace Stimulator, a portable, battery-powered micro-electric pulse generator cleared by the FDA for symptomatic relief of insomnia, anxiety, and depression, and for treating chronic pain.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device. This neurostimulator—similar to a heart pacemaker—is approximately the size of a stopwatch. It is now used to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms for patients whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with drugs.
Do They Work? Are They Safe? What is the Science Behind Them?
Continue reading January 10: Treating the Brain for Depression, Anxiety, and Chronic Pain—Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Deep Brain Stimulation and Beyond
By admin, on November 17th, 2011 We all think we know a few basic facts about ancient Israel. It was the nation that rejected the worship of local deities and embraced monotheism. Or was it?
- What if the ancient Israelites were polytheistic and worshipped many gods?
- Imagine if Israel’s God, Yahweh, was the god of Israel’s mortal enemies, the Edomites?
- Suppose the First Commandment — Have no other gods before me — meant that there were other gods, but Yahweh came first?
- How did this outsider deity work through the pantheon of regional gods to become Israel’s sole deity?
These are just some of the provocative questions raised by Mark Smith, the Skirball Professor of Bible and a Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University.
Smith’s research draws on new archeological discoveries and a growing library of ancient inscriptions and icons from surrounding civilizations. They have changed our understanding of some Biblical passages, and suggest how the ancient Israelite culture emerged from the Canaanite world around it.
While our picture of the ancient world is far from complete, Smith’s research shows how modern archeology, an improved understanding of ancient civilizations, and critical readings of sacred texts can help us deepen our understanding of our heritage.
Join us on Wednesday, December 7, for an enlightening view of a story more than 3,000 years in the making.
When:
Wednesday, December 7
6 to 8 pm
Where:
ASME Headquarters, 22nd Floor
3 Park Avenue (Park & 34th St.)
Cost:
$5 for 2011 dues-paid SWINY Members*
$10 for nonmembers
RSVP here.
*Not a member? Pay $25 for 2012 membership and attend this event at the members’ price.
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