David Eagleman, writer and scienist, thinks aloud
In this week's New Yorker magazine, Dr. David Eagleman, a novelist, neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice grad, is being profiled for his research and recent works. Dr. Eagleman does much of his current research on synesthesia and "neurolaw," which investigates the intersection of current knowledge of neuroscience and law making, criminal punishment and rehabilitation development, which he teaches a class about each fall (NEUR 525, Neuroscience and Law) at Rice. However, among his notable publications is Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, an internationally best-selling collection of short stories. In light of his feature in the New Yorker, as well as a recent appearance on PBS's NOVA, the Rice Thresher sat down to talk with Eagleman about his perspectives on the connection of art and science as well as his book Sum and the movement, "possibilianism," that sparked from it.Rice Thresher: Can you talk about the relationship between art, in your experience creativity in writing, and your experience with research and science? Specifically, how has your research on the brain affected the content that you write about?