Eightface

Parts of brain can switch functions

MIT neuroscientists have found that parts of the brain can switch functions, and aren’t necessarily predetermined by a genetic blueprint.

The finding suggests that the visual cortex can dramatically change its function — from visual processing to language — and it also appears to overturn the idea that language processing can only occur in highly specialized brain regions that are genetically programmed for language tasks.

The science of visual art

From Mirror Neurons to the Mona Lisa, notes from a symposium on visual art and the brain, exploring the neurobiological aspects of how we perceive and understand visual art. Slides and audio are available, but they’re half-hidden underneath each speaker’s photo.