Champagne for the Blind : Paul Bach-y-Rita, neuroscience's forgotten genius

Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita was a visionary neuroscientist and an early pioneer of the theory of neuroplasticity. He is the father of sensory substitution, a field which explores how one sensory modality can be transferred to another. This work culminated in the invention of the Brainport, a device that transmits information through electrodes on the tongue. Bach-y- Rita's company, Wicab, developed two versions of the Brainport. One uses visual information to reveal the sighted world to the blind; another uses body alignment information to help "wobblers" (individuals with vestibular conditions) navigate. The author received exclusive access to Bach-y-Rita's unpublished memoirs. These papers-supplemented by visits to Bach-y-Rita's home in Wisconsin and personal interviews with his family and colleagues-help tell the story of a revolutionary technology that failed to reach the public who needed it.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Authors dc:creator

• Rutkin, Aviva Hope
• Bach-y-Rita, Paul, 1934-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Seth Mnookin.

• Graduate Program in Science Writing.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106742

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/106742