News | Friday, 4th November 2011
A History of the Brain
Psychologist presents BBC series
A NEW BBC series entitled A History of the Brain has been written and presented by Dr Geoff Bunn of the Department of Psychology.
Inspired by the success of History of the World in 100 Objects, the BBC was looking to looking to fill its regular histories slot on Radio 4 and approached Geoff who had been writing a Masters course on the history of neuropsychology.
The result is a 10-part series, starting on Monday, November 7 on Radio 4 which tells the story of man’s understanding of his brain throughout the ages.
The BBC is said to be delighted with the series which will tell “a very rich history that many people will find intriguing, not just those interested in science and medicine.”
Science Museum
“Actors have already recorded various historical quotations and a composer has been engaged to write the signature music,” says senior lecturer Geoff who before working at the University, was curator of the psychology exhibits at the Science Museum, London.
“I was given pretty much complete freedom to plan and write the series, which was wonderful. The challenge was there are so many ways to cut up the brain, so to speak.
“In the end, a chronological account allowed us to touch on all of it, the stories – the controversies, the breakthroughs – and ask ‘what did we know about the brain in 17th century?’ And how did we know what we knew? And why did that change in the 19th century? and so on.
“We also look through the philosophies around the brain; from the Egyptians who considered the heart the more important organ, to its relationship with the soul or more modern concepts of the brain as a machine.
Blown away
“I know my students are blown away with a concept from William Randall which rejects the brain as a processor and describes it more as a compost heap where things are dumped and churned over, and thoughts and memories decompose at different rates.”
Two of Geoff’s students – Holly Taberner who graduated last year, and Gail Davidge, who is studying for her PhD, acted as back-up researchers on the project.
Working at the Science Museum and as Chair of the British Psychology Society History and Philosophy Section, Geoff has played a role in the public understanding of science. But, he says, working at the BBC has made him an even better communicator: “I learned that working for radio is great training for lecturers. The key thing in both cases is trying to evoke compelling images in your listeners’ imagination.”
Material from from the show is now set to feed into undergraduate programmes in Psychology as well as the new MA course Conceptual and Historical issues in the Neurosciences.
National profile
Vice-Chancellor Professor John Brooks said: “I’m delighted for Geoff that this major BBC series is to be broadcast. A History of the Brain will give psychology at MMU a new national profile which is excellent news for our staff and students.”
- A History of the Brain will be broadcast over 10 days, one episode a day, in November as part of a Radio 4 series on the brain. It goes out at 1.45 – 2.00pm after the World at One and before The Archers.
More links
The Radio 4 series page where you can listen to all the episodes after broadcast http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017b1zd
The Science Explorer journey we've built around Geoff's series - exploring related Radio 4 archive etc http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/science-discovery/geoff-bunn/#intro
