THE TELL-TALE BRAIN
ALSO BY
V. S. RAMACHANDRAN
TELL-TALE BRAIN
V. S. RAMACHANDRAN
W. W. NORTON & COMPANY
NEW YORK LONDON
Copyright © 2011 by V. S. Ramachandran
All rights reserved
Figure 7.1: Illustration from
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ramachandran, V. S.
The tell-tale brain: a neuroscientist’s quest for what makes us human/
V. S. Ramachandran.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN: 978-0-393-08058-2
1. Neurosciences—Popular works. 2. Neurology—Popular works. 3. Brain—Popular works. I. Title.
RC351.A45 2011
616.8—dc22
2010044913
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION NO MERE APE
CHAPTER 1 PHANTOM LIMBS AND PLASTIC BRAINS
CHAPTER 2 SEEING AND KNOWING
CHAPTER 3 LOUD COLORS AND HOT BABES: SYNESTHESIA
CHAPTER 4 THE NEURONS THAT SHAPED CIVILIZATION
CHAPTER 5 WHERE IS STEVEN? THE RIDDLE OF AUTISM
CHAPTER 6 THE POWER OF BABBLE: THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE
CHAPTER 7 BEAUTY AND THE BRAIN: THE EMERGENCE OF AESTHETICS
CHAPTER 8 THE ARTFUL BRAIN: UNIVERSAL LAWS
CHAPTER 9 AN APE WITH A SOUL: HOW INTROSPECTION EVOLVED
EPILOGUE
GLOSSARY
NOTES