On Demand
Where is that part that is "me"?
- Comments [2]
Looking into a mirror as a young child, Steven Johnson wondered, "How is that me?" We try to find that part of the brain that recognizes ones self with Montclair State University Professor Julian Keenan. Turns out: only half of your brain really knows who you are. Also, Independent radio producer Hannah Palin tells about her mother, who, after suffering an aneurism, woke up with a completely different personality. She looks the same, and has the same memories, but where did her old mother go? One possible answer: Vietnam. Later, Paul Broks continues the discussion on the fragility of the self.
Steven Johnson's Book: Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life
Julian Keenan's Book: The Face in the Mirror: The Search for the Origins of Consciousness
Paul Broks' book: Into The Silent Land: Travels in Neuropsychology
Hear a longer version of Hannah Palin's story on Transom.org
- "Prologue" Alexandre Desplat - From the film Birth - New Line Records
- "Fount" Fourcolor - Water Mirror - Apestaartje
- "The Little Green Thing" Tom Recchion - L.A.F.M.S./The Lowest Form Of Music - RRRecords
- "Quartet #3 in F Major, Op. 73" Emerson String Quartet - Dmitri Shostakovich: The String Quartets - Deutsche Grammophon
- "Hiraethus" Daedalus - Of Snowdonia - Plug Research
- "Houston in Two Seconds" Ry Cooder - From the film Paris, Texas
- "Theme From Alamo Bay" Ry Cooder - From the film Alamo Bay
- "East St. Louis" Ry Cooder - From the film Trespass
Podcast
Stay up to date.
Subscribe to the Podcast
Radio Lab Blog
Radio Lab’s got a blog! Check out our rants and ramblings, hear bonus audio, and get all kinds of other goodies like ringtones and videos.
More
Radio Lab Email
Tell Radio Lab What You Think
Have questions about the show? Ideas for topics for Radio Lab to investigate? Heard things you like? Don’t like? Let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
Email us at radiolab@wnyc.org
Comments
Refresh
I don't think that the whole thing with the monkey was completely correct because he's talking about how monkeys see themselves in a mirror and tying to say that he has a soul, I think it is more of instinct than actually recognizing them selfs thus giving them a soul.
It's a very fascinating podcast!
So, if the "self" is just a collection of stories about me that I put together to form this identity called me, then who is this "me" that puts together the stories to make up the "me" in the first place?
Is "me" the author one and the same as "me" the product or are they different?
Is "me" the author always constant while "me" the product always changing?
Does "me" the author merged into one with the "me" the product once it's formed and becomes a new "me" the author and from there builds the next new "me" the product?
Leave a Comment
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Back to EpisodeEmail addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. WNYC reserves the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the WNYC.org Comment Guidelines before posting.