The Body Has A Mind of Its Own (broadcast Friday, December 21st, 2007)

Maps aren't just for picking the best way to drive to grandma's house. Your brain and body use 'maps' to translate incoming sensory signals into meaningful information, and to translate brain signals for things like movement into controlled motion. How your body sees itself -- and the world around it -- through these maps may have a big influence on how it behaves. In this segment, Ira talks with science writers Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee about their new book The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better, and about the idea of 'body maps' and their role in connecting the body and brain. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests

Sandra Blakeslee
Co-author, "The Body Has a Mind of Its Own:How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You do (Almost) Everything Better" (Random House, 2007)
Contributing Writer, New York Times
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Matthew Blakeslee
Co-author, "The Body Has a Mind of Its Own:How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You do (Almost) Everything Better" (Random House, 2007)
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Related Links

• The Body Has a Mind of Its Own

Segment produced by:Annette Heist

Stories for
Friday, December 21st, 2007

• Bali Climate Conference Wrap-up
• Audubon Christmas Bird Count
• Looking Back on 2007 Science
• The Body Has A Mind of Its Own
• Attack of the Black Hole

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