Extraordinary Variations of the Human Mind: Lessons for Anthropogeny

Co-sponsored by the Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) and the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (KIBM)

The human mind is one of the features that makes our species unusual, and any narrative of our origins must include explanations for how our mental facilities were generated by genetic and cultural evolutionary processes. Comparative studies with the minds of other species and direct studies of how the typical human brain creates the mind are valuable approaches. However, many useful clues can also be gleaned from studying extraordinary variations of the human mind. This symposium brings together experts who have pursued in-depth explorations of some of these variations.

Event Sessions

Media for each talk can be played by clicking on icons in the "Media" column, or by clicking on the individual talk titles below and then the attachment file at the bottom of the page.

Media	Session	Speakers
	Welcome	Fred Gage, Salk Institute
	Our Brains: Life on a Continuum	Daniel Geschwind, University of California, Los Angeles
	From Genes to Neural Circuits to Behavior & Back Again: Neurogenetic Mechanisms in Williams Syndrome	Karen Berman, National Institutes of Health
	Language at the Extremes	Simon Fisher, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
	Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory	James McGaugh, University of California, Irvine
	The Incredible Savant Syndrome	Darold Treffert, University of Wisconsin (retired)
	Acquired Savantism in Neurological Conditions	Bruce Miller, University of California, San Francisco
	Born to be Musical: What We can Learn from Congenital Anomalies	Isabelle Peretz, BRAMS, Université de Montréal
	Fragments of Genius: Mapping the Mind of a Musical Savant	Adam Ockelford, University of Roehampton
	Synaesthesia: From Extraordinary Experiences to Enhanced Abilities	Jamie Ward, University of Sussex
	Question and Answer Session, Closing Remarks	Daniel Geschwind, University of California, Los Angeles Isabelle Peretz, BRAMS, Université de Montréal All Speakers

Event Glossary

A glossary for this event is available as a Searchable List and a PDF.