Video and Web Resources: Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor
Suggested Levels: 9-16
Subject Areas: Biology, Psychology, Neuroscience
Overview: In this video, brain scientist Dr. Jill Taylor discusses the incident behind her book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, which has been a New York Times bestseller. The video captures her speaking at the annual TED (“Technology, Entertainment, Design”) conference. In the course of her captivating address, she describes the effects of her stroke: human speech sounding like the noises made by golden retrievers and an inability to read because all she saw on printed matter were pixels blending with other pixels. Find It!
Available Formats: Download as MP4 video to iTunes; Download as MP4 video to desktop
Academic Uses: inspiration, enrichment, supplemental media to biology and psychology texts on brain science
Content/Sensitivity Issues: elements of mysticism: Dr. Taylor specifically labels the euphoria she felt as “nirvana.”
Run time: 18:44
Key quotes: “Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions—motion, speech, self-awareness— shut down one by one.” —from TED Talks
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