Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21821508s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #218, #215.08; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
Dyslexia is a hereditary neurological condition characterized by difficulties in reading, writing, and spelling. The fact that those with dyslexia include many accomplished scientists, including some recognized with a Nobel Prize, has prompted researchers to suggest that the neurology of dyslexia may predispose these individuals to advantages in visually-intensive domains such as science.
Here, we report evidence of a link between dyslexia and abilities for visual processing useful in astronomy. First, we show that when images of natural scenes are Gaussian-blurred, so as to remove high-frequency detail (and resemble many astronomical images), college students with dyslexia significantly outperform those who are typical readers in learning the spatial contexts presented. Second, we show that when the threshold ability to detect radio signatures characteristic of black holes is measured in a laboratory simulation, astrophysicists with dyslexia significantly outperform those who are typical readers in this task when the visual periphery is important. In a third experiment, using eye-tracking technologies, we demonstrate that visual strategies significantly correlate with success in the black hole task, but that college students with dyslexia tend not to employ the strategies most likely to lead to success.
Collectively, these studies suggest that dyslexia is linked to neurological advantages useful in astronomical careers, but that left to their own devices students with dyslexia may not benefit from these advantages without practice or training. These studies imply that many students who are struggling to read may find successful careers in astronomy or other fields that build on visual advantages linked to their reading disability, but that education and training may be vital in helping these students realize their strengths.
This material is based upon work supported by the George E. Burch Fellowship (Smithsonian Institution) and the National Science Foundation under Grants HRD-0726032 and HRD-0930962.
Brockmole J. R.
Greenhill Lincoln J.
Pomplun M.
Rose L. T.
Schneps Matthew H.
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