Daniel Willingham finally writes something I agree with, an occasion sufficiently rare as to warrant a post. "In the usual mythology, the left hemisphere of the brain is logical, ordered, and analytic, and it supports reading, speech, math, and reasoning. The right hemisphere is more oriented towards feelings and emotions, spatial perception, and the arts, and is said to be more creative. We have known for at least 30 years that this characterization is incorrect." Quite right. As Willingham says, correctly, "The language we find useful to discuss mental functions is, for the neuroscientist, a rather high level of description. That is, for a function like 'reading' or 'music' much of the brain gets into the act." So if you're one of those people promoting the left-brained, right-brained stereotype, it's time to reconsider your research base.
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