The legacy of the Wernicke-Lichtheim model

Wernicke established an integrated model of the relation between higher cognitive functions and neurophysiological structure of the human brain in 1874. The previous Bouillaud/Broca view envisaged a mosiac map of centres for specific functions, each of which had no clear inter-relation with other centres or with input/output pathways, and with no theoretical explanation of how each centre operated in relation to more basic neural elements. Wernicke's model overcame these objections, and, with Lichtheim's systematization in 1885, the "Wernicke-Lichtheim model" became the standard neuropsychological theory. In this model, each normal higher function is explained in terms of an underlying neural pathway that includes the input/output systems, related functions employ portions of the pathways used for other functions, pathological syndromes are explained by reference to where in the pathway damage occurred, and previously unobserved pathological syndromes can be predicted. Development of the model at the hands of Lissauer, Dejerine, Liepmann, Geschwind, Heilman, and Ellis and Young is traced.     

The Christian Peace of Erasmus

The aim of this essay is to show that Erasmus’s concept of peace should be understood as a form of irenicism rather than pacifism. I argue that Erasmus’s basic claims on war and peace do not qualify him as a pacifist, first of all because his concept of peace is non-universal: it is exclusively Christian since it does not include Muslims and Jews unless they have converted to Christianity. Secondly, Erasmus’s willingness to fight the Turks and his call for a Christian war against them suggests that he was not a pacifist. Since the peace Erasmus preached for was exclusively Christian, it cannot be identified as pacifism in its accepted universal sense, but rather as a commitment to the peace of Christendom, and therefore his concept of peace should more precisely be described as irenic. By shedding new light on Erasmus’s notion of war and peace, this essay suggests that his alleged religious tolerance should be considered anew.     

Charles Bonnet: The Black Kingdom of the Nile

African Archaeological Review -     

The science and scientific legacy of Operation Chastise

Abstract

Operation Chastise, more often known as the 'Dambusters raids', was one of the most audacious aerial military operations of the Second World War, in that it made use of operationally untested technical innovations under extreme logistical constraints. Of particular interest is the scientific environment in which the mission was implemented. Here I review the principal scientific innovations that were necessary for the realisation of the mission. These went beyond the rotating depth charge itself. Simple but nevertheless ingenious methods for altitude and range finding were devised for low altitude flying, and the new system of two stage blue day–night flying was implemented for simulated night flying. Even drugs to combat airsickness during low altitude flight in turbulence were tested. The diverse technical expertise that was necessary for the original idea to be transformed into a logistical reality in less than three months provides a particularly lucid instance of effective scientific management in a framework of rapid technological change. I also describe an expedition inspired by these developments, which fifty years on used a dedicated low altitude night flying microlight aircraft (the Barnes Wallis Moth Machine) to catch insects over a rainforest canopy, illustrating the legacies that such missions can leave.