Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Schizophrenia and blindness, Hester Poole, and Nicholas Saunderson
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Schizophrenia and blindness, Hester Poole, and Nicholas Saunderson
The view persists that blindness can lead to other senses being somehow more acute - but are they just better trained?
The notion of "neuroplasticity" comes up in consideration of the work of our first guest, Professor Vera Morgan Head of the Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit in the University of Western Australia. Her studies support the idea that the congenitally blind, or those who become blind in their early years are somehow protected from schizophrenia. If this is the case - could the cause of the phenomenon be harnassed to combat mental illness?
We hear again from 12-year-old Hester Poole, who visited a blind school in Africa and interviewed the lawyer and disability activist Yetnebersh Nigussie, who calls going blind "winning the lottery".
And there are plenty of fascinating blind characters in history. But have you heard of Nicholas Saunderson? Born in Penistone in the 17th Century and blinded by smallpox as a baby, he went on to become Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge - a seat held by Sir Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. This fascinating character is now the subject of a musical, No Horizon. Director Andrew Loretto and leading man Adam Martin tell us about bringing a figure who may have been forgotten back into the limelight.
Presented by Peter White.
Produced by Kevin Core.
View all episodes
By BBC Radio 4
5
55 ratings
The view persists that blindness can lead to other senses being somehow more acute - but are they just better trained?
The notion of "neuroplasticity" comes up in consideration of the work of our first guest, Professor Vera Morgan Head of the Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit in the University of Western Australia. Her studies support the idea that the congenitally blind, or those who become blind in their early years are somehow protected from schizophrenia. If this is the case - could the cause of the phenomenon be harnassed to combat mental illness?
We hear again from 12-year-old Hester Poole, who visited a blind school in Africa and interviewed the lawyer and disability activist Yetnebersh Nigussie, who calls going blind "winning the lottery".
And there are plenty of fascinating blind characters in history. But have you heard of Nicholas Saunderson? Born in Penistone in the 17th Century and blinded by smallpox as a baby, he went on to become Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge - a seat held by Sir Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. This fascinating character is now the subject of a musical, No Horizon. Director Andrew Loretto and leading man Adam Martin tell us about bringing a figure who may have been forgotten back into the limelight.
Presented by Peter White.
Produced by Kevin Core.
More shows like In Touch
View all
Global News Podcast
7,874 Listeners
The Archers
1,085 Listeners
The Archers Omnibus
401 Listeners
More or Less
854 Listeners
Newshour
1,074 Listeners
Woman's Hour
394 Listeners
Money Box
47 Listeners
In Our Time
5,565 Listeners
The Documentary Podcast
1,805 Listeners
6 Minute English
1,761 Listeners
Learning English Conversations
1,051 Listeners
The Infinite Monkey Cage
1,962 Listeners
Comedy of the Week
478 Listeners
Last Word
46 Listeners
The Food Programme
263 Listeners
The Week in Westminster
33 Listeners
Political Fix
156 Listeners
The Life Scientific
231 Listeners
Daily Politics from the New Statesman
142 Listeners
RNIB Tech Talk
1 Listeners
Double Tap
33 Listeners
Sliced Bread
149 Listeners
You're Dead to Me
3,222 Listeners
The Bomb
1,016 Listeners
When It Hits the Fan
49 Listeners