Bring the Family Address

Diverse Brains

Saturday, May 25, 2013, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Salons 2 & 3

Morton Ann Gernsbacher
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Humans differ. Some are taller than others; some are shorter. Most are right-handed, but some are left-handed. A minority have a mutation that leads to their second toe being longer than their first (a Morton’s toe); a minority have a mutation that leads to their having blue eyes rather than brown. A minority can perceive musical pitch absolutely; a minority cannot perceive color distinctions vibrantly. Most humans read with their eyes, but some read with their fingertips. A majority communicate through speaking and listening, but a minority communicate through signing. In the decade following the advent of research-based neuroimaging, researchers’ sights were set on mapping general principles of common phenomena. But soon, many researchers turned their magnets toward identifying atypical neural function and structure. How should we view such diversity?