From: Ian Goddard (igoddard@netkonnect.net)
Date: Mon Jun 01 1998 - 14:38:10 MDT
At 03:34 PM 6/1/98 +0200, Anders Sandberg wrote:
>Ian Goddard <igoddard@netkonnect.net> writes:
>
>> I've seen some counter the theory that the
>> left brain is the technical mathematical side
>> of the brain and the right brain is the artistic
>> visual side of the brain (they probably both play
>> a role in those functions to some degree).
>
>The huge difference between the hemispheres is is largely a myth,
>there is no fundamental difference in how they work. It is just that
>the functions tend to be lateralized when they have no direct
>connection to sensory input or actions requiring both sides of the
>body. Mathematics can be both logical-verbal and artistic-visual, so
>there is no strong reason to think it will be found on one side or the
>other.
IAN: Something that occurred to me that other
day is in-line with what you say. I'm a very
visual art-oriented person, and I always had
trouble with math, but if I can see what's
the math is describing, bingo, I get it quick.
It occurred to me that some others don't have
to see it to "see it," so to say, and those
others that I know of are very much not-art-
istic, very, shall we say, "left-brained,"
to coin the "myth." But what occurred to me
was that they MUST be seeing it internally,
and thus people like me may actually have
a internal visual deficit for which external
visual stimuli acts as a compensation. This
would tend to imply that those that we call
"left brained" actually have some variety of
advanced internal visualization. I say some
kind because artists such as myself do have
strong internal visual capabilities, but in
the case of fast math learners, this seems
to map out a utilization of the right side,
such that, as you note, the idea that math
isn't utilizing the right side is not true.
**************************************************************
VISIT IAN WILLIAMS GODDARD --------> http://Ian.Goddard.net
______________________________________________________________
"A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its
opponents and making them see the light, but rather because
its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows
up that is familiar with the idea from the beginning."
Max Plank - Nobel physicist
"The smallest minority on earth is the individual.
Those who deny individual rights cannot claim
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