From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Wed Apr 17 2002 - 10:58:24 MDT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1932000/1932709.stm
The human mind has long fascinated psychologists
Helen Briggs
BBC News Online
Australian scientists say they have created a "thinking cap" that will
stimulate creative powers.
The invention raises the possibility of being able to unlock one's inner
genius by reawakening dormant parts of the brain.
This shock finding will challenge many of our conventional views regarding
creativity
Steve Williams, Institute of Psychiatry
It is based on the idea that we all have the sorts of extraordinary abilities
usually associated with savants.
According to scientists at the Centre for the Mind in Sydney, these hidden
talents can be stimulated using magnetism.
Professor Allan Snyder and colleague Elaine Mulcahy say tests on 17
volunteers show their device can improve drawing skills within 15 minutes.
They intend to submit their work for publication in a scientific journal.
The news, reported in Chemistry and Industry magazine, has been given a
cautious welcome by experts in the UK.
'Unconscious skills'
Professor Steve Williams of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, said
Professor Snyder was a highly respected international scientist and he was
looking forward to reading the scientific paper.
Many autistics are accomplished artists
He told BBC News Online: "This shock finding that everyone might possess
unconscious skills that can be 'switched on' with magnetic stimulation will
challenge many of our conventional views regarding creativity."
The inspiration for the device comes from savant syndrome, a condition
portrayed in the Hollywood film Rain Man.
Savants are extraordinarily gifted. They may have amazing memories or excel
at maths, music or art. But they also have developmental disorders such as
autism.
Mind state
One theory behind savant syndrome is that the right side of the brain
overcompensates for damage to the left hemisphere.
The skills most often seen in savants are those associated with the right
side.
Savant syndrome
Rare condition in which persons with various developmental disorders have
astonishing abilities or talents
Savants also have a prodigious memory
Typical savant skills include music, art, and mathematical skills
About 10% of persons with autistic disorder have some savant skills
According to Professor Snyder, it might be possible to train someone to
access this state by controlling their brain waves.
David Potter of the National Autistic Society, a UK charity, said the
research was fascinating.
"Some scientists believe that the essence of creativity is not a state of
mind but an activity," he told BBC News Online.
"Whether Snyder and Mulcahy's research will enable the expression of savant
skills without accompanying impairments remains to be seen."
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