08-15, 18:00–18:50 (US/Eastern), Tobin
Imagine a mind without mental images, where “picture this” has no meaning. Aphantasia - the inability to form mental images - is a little-known, rare condition that affects around one to four percent of the population. In this presentation, Earl will talk about aphantasia and how it has impacted his professional life as a pathologist and a teacher with more than 35 years of experience. He will explore its impact - both good and bad - on everyday experiences such as chess, piano, drawing, reading, memory, and learning, finally speculating on how aphantasia may affect creativity and the hacker mindset.
Dr. Earl Brown is a professor of pathology at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine, where he has taught since 1987. He has received numerous awards for excellence and innovation in teaching, including recent honors for his work integrating technology into medical education. His current teaching interests include tutoring medical students as they prepare for national exams and exploring how best to incorporate artificial intelligence into medical training.
