The Tell-Tale Brain

Vilayanur Subramanian (V.S.) Ramachandran (b. 1951) is an Indian-American neuroscientist. In the Preface, Ramachandran details his love affair with science, especially 19th-century science, which began during his childhood in India. Both of his parents actively encouraged and supported his interests in science, gifting him tiny, dried seahorses, microscopes, and more. Ramachandran’s father encouraged him to pursue medicine, stating, “‘You can become a second-rate doctor and still make a decent living […] but you can’t be a second-rate scientist; it’s an oxymoron” (xiv). Ramachandran earned a medical degree in India. He then studied experimental neuroscience at Cambridge where he earned his PhD.

Ramachandran favors “small science,” which involves smaller teams and focuses on simple and easy-to-do experiments, over “big science.” He invented the mirror box, comprised of everyday household items like Q-tips, ordinary mirrors, and glasses of water. While the invention is simple, its impact has been extraordinary. Mirror boxes help alleviate phantom limb pain. Ramachandran acknowledges that not everyone likes his style of science. He firmly believes that science needs a variety of perspectives and approaches.

Ramachandran studies patients with unusual neurological disorders to better understand the functions and structures of the healthy, normal brain. Ramachandran defines these disorders as “patients with damage or genetic quirks in different parts of the brain that produce bizarre effects on their mind and behavior” (xi). He is an emeritus distinguished professor in UC San Diego’s Department of Psychology, where he was the Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition for many years.

He has written several books about his research, including Phantoms in the Brain (1998) and The Tell-Tale Brain (2010). He has also discussed his research in numerous public lectures, including for the BBC and TED Talks. Through his writings and lectures, Ramachandran has helped popularize science.

Ramachandran has received numerous awards for his work, including honorary life membership to the Royal Institution of Great Britain (joining the ranks of other influential scientists such as Thomas Huxley), two honorary doctorates, the third highest civilian award and honorific title in India called the Padma Bhushan (2007), “one of the most influential people in the world” on the Times 100 list in 2011, and “Scientist of the Year” by the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation (2014). The Tell-Tale Brain was a New York Times bestseller and won the 2010 Vodafone Crossword Book Award.