Episode Details

People who deviate physically or psychologically from the average are a popular subject of scientific research. Oliver Sacks and V. S. Ramachandran have published numerous case histories on this basis. The reason for this is that the deviation allows you to study how it actually works. In “The Blind Woman Who Can See,” Ramachandran introduces a woman who is actually blind, but can purposefully reach for a pen that is held out to her. This lady's visual center is functioning and she is able to respond to instinctive stimuli. But she cannot consciously process visual information.

Transcript Blindness in Research