Syllabus for Investigating Minds Lecture, Spring 2009


Elizabeth Johnston

Sarah Lawrence College

Books --- in order of use
(available in the SLC bookstore and on reserve in the library)

1. Ledoux, Joseph (2003). Synaptic Self.New York: Penguin

2. Edelman, Gerald (2005). Wider than the sky. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

3. Solms, Mark & Turnbull, Oliver (2003). The Brain and the Inner World. New York: Other Press.

4. Blakeslee, Sandra & Blakeslee, Matthew (2007). The Body has a Mind of its Own. New York: Random House.

5. Schacter, Daniel L. (1996). Searching for Memory. New York: HarperCollins.

6. Luria, A. (1968). The Mind of a Mnemonist. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 

7. Deacon, T.W. (1997). The Symbolic Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain. New York: Norton.

8. Sacks, O. (1989). Seeing Voices. New York: HarperCollins.


Lecture Topics and Readings

1/20: Brain & Body: Persistent Dualisms: Mind/Body, Nature/Nurture -- Descartes

Solms & Turnbull, The Brain and the Inner World: Foreword (by Oliver Sacks), Preface & Chapter 2 (yes, 2 not 1)
Edelman, Wider than the Sky:
Preface & Chapter 1

1/22: Brain & Body: The Discovery of the Brain: Willis, Maps & Bats

LeDoux, Synaptic Self: Chapters 1 & 2
Blakeslees, The Body has a Mind of its Own: Introduction & Chapter 1
Zimmer, C. (2004) A Distant Mirror for the Brain, Science, 5654, 43-44. Link

1/27 & 1/29: Brain & Body: Elements of the Brain (over two lectures)

Solms & Turnbull: Chapter 1
LeDoux: Chapter 3
Edelman: Chapters 2, 3
& 4

2/3: Brain & Body: Phrenology and Beyond

Blakeslees: Chapters 2 & 3
van Wyhe, J. Phrenology on the web: adapted (with considerable shortening) for the Victorian Web

2/5: Brain & Body: Consciousness: The Remembered Present

Edelman: Chapter 5
Solms & Turnbull: Chapter 3
Blakeslees: Chapter 4

2/10: Brain & Body: Building the Brain & Neuroplasticity

LeDoux: Chapter 4
Blakeslees: Chapters 5 & 6
Specter, M. (2001). Rethinking the brain. New Yorker, July 23rd, 42. Link to paper on Specter's website

2/12: Brain & Body: Mirror Neurons

Blakeslees: Chapters 7, 8 & 9
Ramachandran, V. (2006). Mirror Neurons and the Brain in the Vat, The Edge. Available online

2/17: Brain & Body: E-motions

Blakeslees: Chapter 10 & Afterword
Solms & Turnbull: Chapter 4

2/19: Brain & Memory: Amnesia

LeDoux: Chapter 5
Schacter, Searching for Memory: Chapters 1, 2 & 5

2/24: Brain & Memory: Reconstructive Remembering: Eyewitness Memory & False Memory Syndrome

Schacter: Chapters 4, 7 & 9
Solms & Turnbull: Chapter 5

2/26: Brain & Memory: Scientific American Movie: "Don't Forget"

3/3: Brain & Memory: Sensory Memory, Synesthesia & the Ars Memorativa

Luria, The Mind of a Mnemonist

3/5: Brain & Memory: Brain Viagra? Memory Enhancement Drugs

Langreth, R. Viagra for the Brain, Forbes, February 20002. Online copy
McGaugh, J. (2002).
Remembering and Forgetting: Physiological and Pharmacological Aspects. Testimony to the President's Council on Bioethics, October 17, 2002. Transcript online

Ledoux: Chapter 6

3/10: Review for midterm exam (bring your questions)

3/12: In class midterm exam


SPRING BREAK


3/31: Brain & Language: Talking Dogs? Why Martha Blah Blah is fiction

Deacon, The Symbolic Species: Preface & Chapters 1 & 2

4/2: Brain & Language: From the Mouths of Babes

Deacon: Chapters 3 & 4

4/7: Brain & Language: The Sounds of Language

Deacon: Chapter 8

4/9: Brain & Language: Aphasia

Deacon: Chapter 10
Solms & Turnbull: Chapter 8

4/14: Brain & Language: Neuroimaging of Language

4/16: Brain & Language: Language in the Deaf World

Sacks, Seeing Voices, Section 2
Lawrence Osborne (1999). A linguistic big bang. New York Times Magazine, Oct 24, pg. 84. Online

4/21 & 4/23: Movie: In the Land of the Deaf plus more on sign language

4/28: Brain & Consciousness: Dreams & Hallucinations

Solms & Turnbull: Chapter 6
LeDoux: Chapter 7
Edelman: Chapters 7 & 8

4/30: Brain & Consciousness: The Emotional Brain, Synaptic Sickness & The Talking Cure

LeDoux: Chapters 8, 9 & 10
Edelman: Chapters 9 & 10

Solms & Turnbull: Chapters 9 & 10

 

5/5: Review for Final (bring your questions)

5/7: Final Exam

5/12: Movie: from Sacks' Mind Traveller Series: Island of the Colorblind

5/14: Brain & Consciousness: Mind, Body & Identity

LeDoux: Chapter 11
Deacon: Chapter 14
Edelman: Chapters 11 & 12

Movie: Scientific American: Hidden Motives




Group Conference Reading for the first set of group conferences:

1. Meditation and Brain Plasticity:

New Scientist Magazine article

2. Blindsight
NPR Story