Champagne for the Blind : Paul Bach-y-Rita, neuroscience's forgotten genius
Name
969346392-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
5 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
5824330d0fcb41f5ee99d4ad788fbf75
Author(s)
Rutkin, Aviva Hope
Bach-y-Rita, Paul, 1934-
Advisor(s)
Seth Mnookin.
Alternative Title
Paul Bach-y-Rita, neuroscience's forgotten genius
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita was a visionary neuroscientist and an early pioneer of the theory of neuroplasticity. He is the father of sensory substitution, a field which explores how one sensory modality can be transferred to another. This work culminated in the invention of the Brainport, a device that transmits information through electrodes on the tongue. Bach-y- Rita's company, Wicab, developed two versions of the Brainport. One uses visual information to reveal the sighted world to the blind; another uses body alignment information to help "wobblers" (individuals with vestibular conditions) navigate. The author received exclusive access to Bach-y-Rita's unpublished memoirs. These papers-supplemented by visits to Bach-y-Rita's home in Wisconsin and personal interviews with his family and colleagues-help tell the story of a revolutionary technology that failed to reach the public who needed it.
Description
Thesis: S.M. in Science Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Vita.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 24-29).
Subjects
Graduate Program in Science Writing.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing
MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies
Terms of Use
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
