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
44 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
File on 4 Investigates
38 Listeners
Woman's Hour
391 Listeners
Inside Health
85 Listeners
The Archers
1,053 Listeners
Saturday Live
38 Listeners
The Archers Omnibus
380 Listeners
Desert Island Discs
2,015 Listeners
RNIB Tech Talk
1 Listeners
RNIB Connect
1 Listeners
Double Tap
24 Listeners
Sliced Bread
134 Listeners
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
238 Listeners
Off Air with Jane & Fi
155 Listeners
Shaun of the Shed
7 Listeners
All About The Archers
41 Listeners