Matthew Taylor
speaker
407 appearances
3 recordings
1 series
first heard Nov 2011
last heard Nov 2011
Matthew Taylor’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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Appearances
Let's try this, this will be totally terrible.
As you can probably tell, the point of listening to this viola is not for its artistic merit.
But stringed instruments, like the one being played here by Professor Chris Frith of University College London, do have an important place in the development of neuroscience.
It was scans of brains of violin players that helped scientists understand that the brain is plastic.
It doesn't just retain facts and memories in fixed areas, but learning special skills, like music, actually changes its structure.
I believe this insight can shed new light on some very old debates about how to educate the nation.
Chris Frith may not be a musical genius, but he's widely seen as the godfather of British neuroscience.
The idea that our brain is plastic throughout life and that as well as pouring things into it, learning can generate new brain cells, neurons and a new structure has many implications, ranging from the education of infants to warding off the symptoms of dementia.
When my sons train for football, they don't just play matches.
They go through a set of complicated drills, which have been shown to improve their underlying skills.
Now, just as the relationship between sit-ups and scoring goals may not be obvious, so brain plasticity is starting to suggest surprising ways of making the brain fitter.
I'm beginning my journey with a Year 8 class near Newport.
They're experimenting here with a technique designed to boost the brain plasticity of young children by using something most parents see as a distraction from learning.
My name is Matthew Taylor and I'm presenting this radio programme that we're recording today.
And because you're going to be using technology, video game technology, in the lesson, I just want to ask you a few questions about video games, first of all.
As a class, do you think learning in class is more or less interesting than playing video games?
Less.
OK.
You don't get shoot people in class?
No.
Showing 141–160 of 407 · page 8 of 21
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