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WHAT I DO
I trained as a neuroscientist after doing a first degree in philosophy and physiology at the University of Oxford. Now I write books about possibly the best topic in the world -- the science of human brains and behaviour. For more details, see my research background.
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WHAT I'M NOT
-- a lawyer, government official, policy advisor or therapist. If you have a suspected case of brainwashing or cruelty, you need to talk to one of the above, not me. (For some useful contacts, try here.) My books are for people who want to know how brainwashing and cruelty happen, what causes them, and what we can do to protect ourselves against them.
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ABOUT MY BOOKS
My books explore questions of interest to many people who will never study neuroscience or psychology:
● how are some people able to make others change their beliefs, sometimes very radically, and sometimes at great cost to themselves? (Brainwashing)
● how is it that apparently normal people can become exceptionally cruel, even to the extent of torturing and murdering a lover, friend or child? (Cruelty)
● how will the new brain sciences change our world? (The Brain Supremacy)
Brainwashing and Cruelty were published in 2004 and 2009 respectively, by Oxford University Press. The Brain Supremacy is due to be published in the autumn of 2012, again by OUP. In between getting it ready, I am working on my next book, The Science Con.
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MEDIA WORK
I have done a range of national and international media work. Much of this has been written, including blog posts, articles and features for newspapers and magazines. I have also done spoken and video interviews for TV, radio and online sources, such as the BBC. I have spoken about the books at science cafes, academic talks, and at science and literary festivals.
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LATEST NEWS
● May 2012 - I await the proofs for The Brain Supremacy from OUP. It's due out in October.
● April 2012 - A rough draft of the work in progress completed over Easter, despite a computer breakdown.
● March 2012 - My commissioned piece for the Royal Society of Arts RSA Journal has been published, making the cover, and with handsome production values and a fine image.
● December 2011 - Following the death of Kim Jong-il, the Guardian and the Daily Mirror both asked me for a piece on brainwashing. Cue lots of work to meet their deadlines!
● December 2011 - It's 'review of the year' time. Everyone else does it, so here's my view of 2011 in science.
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OFF-DUTY
Are writers, or scientists, ever really off-duty -- except when they're asleep? My off-duty activities include feeding the local birds, taking photographs of things that remind me of brains (not very well), and trying to keep my garden from reverting to jungle. While doing some of these I have managed not to think about work for minutes at a time.
I have also been known to write poetry, such as this example of a pronunciation guide to some of the great thinkers of Western culture.
Contact me
Buy the books
Kathleen Taylor is a freelance science writer affiliated to the
Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics,
University of Oxford
Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics,
University of Oxford
This website is copyright: Kathleen Taylor, 2012. Last edited: 2 May 2012.
Kathleen Taylor -
sharp thoughts on science
sharp thoughts on science
