Mind Myths : Exploring Popular Assumptions about the Mind and Brain

Currently there is a gap between what scientists know aboutthe mindand brain and the assumptions that others draw from sources ofeveryday information such as newspapers, popular press andtelevision. Mind Myths attempts to close this gap by bringingtogether top international neuroscientists and psychologists toprovide a fascinating and scientifically reliable insight into theneuropsychological and cognitive phenomena that are frequentlyreported in the media. A multitude of mind myth topics are tackled,for example * the resuscitation from coma thanks to a patient's avourite songs * the creativity of the right hemisphere * the false memory syndrome * the placebo effect * learning while sleeping "Mind Myths...includes the remarkably persistent fallacy that weonly ever use 10% of our brains, the assumption that our rightbrains function as artistic hippies and our left as desiccatedaccountants ...the book is written in a lively style and will, Ihope, be read widely by science journalists, and others who helpperpetuate the various myths... an excellent focus for anundergraduate seminar, providing a stimulating bridge between thepsychological laboratory and the rather untilled field of folkpsychology." From the Foreword by Alan Baddeley This unique book will appeal to professionals and students acrossthe psychology and science disciplines and anyone else with aninterest in how the brain works in everyday situations.