The Hindu Business Line : Of genius, biochips and phantom limbs

THIS is a tale of two researchers and thinkers with a difference. While one is a missile man turned President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who continues to serve as a guide for some researchers, the other is a non-resident Indian (NRI) scientist - - Dr V.S. Ramachandran, Director, Centre for Brain and Cognition, UCSD, San Diego, USA, who is working on the hot topic of unshackling the cognitive nature of brain.

Being poles apart, with nothing seemingly common between the two except being researchers driven by a passion to explore new vistas, the one connecting link between them — both are seeking ways to solve some basic issues concerning the mysteries of human brain.

Why poets are poets and artistes are artistes can be inferred from their use of metaphors. This could well be established as the larger picture is now getting to become clearer that there could be a distinct genetic trait that differentiates these people from others. And with the human genome being mapped, we could one day make a perfect genome, which has the genius of Shakespeare on one hand and Einstein's brilliance on the other, according to Dr Ramachandran.

Dr Ramachandran, who is currently researching on brain and mind interface, recently spoke at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology here on what neurology can tell us about human nature, art and synesthesia phenomenon (a condition where there is mixing of senses). He said that recent studies on the functioning of the brain had revealed that functionalities tended to drift from one part to another and this indicated that there was great scope to improvise.

This important finding, he said, illustrated how people with phantom limbs witnessed that their response to some external stimuli was as if they had natural limb.

On the other hand, Dr Kalam is now engaged in an important research work with Father George, on trying to solve the problem of handicapped children. This he planned to do so by establishing one can deploy some biochips and alter the way they function to be able to become normal.

Dr Kalam said that the problem of handicapped children required a more focussed attention and it was possible to solve this problem through artificial implant of biochips.

Therefore, this project undertaken with Father George has ten handicapped children alongside 10 normal children and the research project is under way.

Though this project is at early data gathering stage and in interaction with neurologists, Dr Kalam opines that early indications show that there is nothing abnormal with these handicapped children. "If we make use of the functioning part of the brain and take its signals to other part with implants, perhaps they could function normally. It is to be seen how this project takes shape."

Dr Ramachandran, while describing the Shakespearean enigma and use of metaphors said that it was quite natural for an extraordinary writer like him to be different as he had the capability to imagine in a different manner, as research findings indicated. Therefore, Romeo is East and Juliet is the Sun.

While seeking to simplify and explain the enigma of brain, Dr Ramachandran said scientists could well be a step closer to shackling the mystery behind the use of words and metaphors by poets and artistes and that creativity could be a result of synesthesia. Here a person visualises a specific colour of numbers or associates one thing with another. This could well be a genetic trait.

Well! When you think of such natural researchers, it surely provides some food for thought.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
Comment on this article to BLFeedback@thehindu.co.in

Stories in this Section
Of genius, biochips and phantom limbs

Indian Bank set to get Rs 770-cr recap fund

DoT gives green signal to Net exchange

I-T limit may go up for 65-plus

Exports up 9.9% in Oct

Cola war enters new territory — Pepsi woos thanda matlab creator