Paul bach-y-rita father
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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 The author received exclusive access to Bach-y-Rita’s unpublished memoirs.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.
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Tagged asblindnessBrainportneurologyneuroplasticityPaul Bach-y-Ritasensory substitution
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Paul Bach-y-Rita
American neuroscientist
Paul Bach-y-Rita (April 4, 1934 – November 20, 2006) was an American neuroscientist whose most notable work was in the field of neuroplasticity. Bach-y-Rita was one of the first to seriously study the idea of neuroplasticity (although it was first proposed in the late 19th century), and to introduce sensory substitution as a tool to treat patients with neurological disorders.
Bach-y-Rita is known as "the father of sensory substitution".[1]
Biography
Bach-y-Rita was born on April 4, 1934, in New York City to Anne Hyman and Pedro Bach-y-Rita,[2] the latter a Catalan poet and teacher at City College of New York.[3] He studied at the Bronx High School of Science, from which he graduated at the age of fifteen before studying at Mexico City College (now the University of the Americas in Puebla). After his early education, he studied medicine at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He initially dropped out, going through several varied jobs, but later returned to finish his degree.[4& Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita The first time I met Paul Bach-y-Rita I was embraced by his sense of wonderment in science and in life. I was captivated by the twinkle in his eyes and his grand and graceful spirit of discovery. He had an amazing habit of thinking outside the box of current scientific understanding and I came to understand that he was far head of those current scientific times. Paul was a genius and a more humble human being you will never find. I am forever grateful and honored to have worked with such a man and if not for Paul, my life would not be as it is today. Thank you my friend. Without a doubt, Paul is the person who made everything I am doing now possible. Without Paul’s visionary spirit, his wealth of compassion and desire to make a difference in this world, I would not be who I am today. I can truly say that I loved this man, always will. I am eternally honored to have shared the experience of the developments of his vision and to now be able to spread his seeds of hope as far and wide as I can. Thank you Pau
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Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita
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