March 30, 1998
Contact:
Jamie Lawson Reeves, (615) 322-2706
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Using science fiction to teach science - Researchers explore the human brain through Star Trek
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Captain's Log. March 1998. A university professor educates his fellow earthlings about the complexities of the human brain by investigating the thoughts, feelings and actions of aliens and humans inhabiting planets and starships in outer space.
Sound like an episode of Star Trek? It's actually the latest project of Vanderbilt University Professor of Psychology Randolph Blake. Blake says case studies are effective tools for teaching students about science. And science fiction provides an ideal genre to draw from, Blake says. Because of the enduring qualities of Star Trek and its sophisticated treatment of scientific issues, Blake teamed up with fellow psychologist Robert Sekuler of Brandeis University, a former colleague, to write "Star Trek On the Brain: Alien Minds, Human Minds" (March 1998, W.H. Freeman Publishers).
Using anecdotes from Star Trek's original TV series, Star Trek movies and episodes from the newer generation of Star Trek - The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager - the duo explain the neurological and psychological bases of emotions, perception, aggression, memory and sex.
Drawing examples from popular culture to explain clinical disorders was already part of Blake's teaching arsenal. "I can always get students to sit on the edge of their seats when I talk about bizarre clinical disorders. We are fascinated with the bizarre." Although not a hard-core Trekkie himself, Blake says writing the book immersed him in the universe of Star Trek. "There was a period when I was watching about 15 hours a week and taking notes on my portable computer," he says. "My video library now includes just about all of the Star Trek episodes and movies."
Blake and Sekuler draw parallels between Star Trek characters, such as Mr. Spock, and 20th century medical case studies involving brain damage. "For example, there is a clinical condition resulting from damage to a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. People who suffer this condition are stripped of their ability to exhibit emotions," Blake says. "The condition, caused by either an injury or a stroke, produces an individual with a Vulcan-like disposition. Scrutinizing characters and scenes gave Blake new respect for the series.
"I gained quite a bit of respect for the creativity and scientific expertise of the Star Trek writers who created these characters and scripts," he says. "It's also awesome how they have built entire worlds and cultures that remain chronologically consistent."
Blake says his favorite Star Trek character is Data, the android aboard the Enterprise-D. "I'm both touched and amused by Data's constant struggle to understand what it means to be human," says Blake.
As for "favorite" alien species, Blake opts for the Vulcans, whose most well-known representative is Mr. Spock. "Vulcans are fascinating because they are hyperlogical, extremely rational, totally dispassionate and stoic. They stimulate interesting discussion about the interdependence of emotions and decision making. Vulcans are also interesting because they used to be highly emotional and prone to violence. Sekuler and I speculate on how the Vulcans were able to conquer their passions to achieve their current peace-loving nature." Blake's research is at the interface of psychology and neuroscience.
"I'm investigating human visual perception. I want to know how we acquire and utilize visual information about our world," he says. "Vision - and in fact all of perception - happens quickly and effortlessly, yet the steps involved are extremely complicated. This complexity is revealed when engineers try to build machines that see. It turns out to be a huge technical challenge that has yet to be mastered. Yet our brains accomplish visual perception every waking moment of our lives."
Blake's work in the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. He served as chair of the psychology department from 1988 to 1996, and he is a Research Fellow at Vanderbilt's Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Psychological Society.
For more news about Vanderbilt, visit the News and Public Affairs home page on the Internet at www.vanderbilt.edu/News
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