Day 5

Today was the last day of class and I knew that I was not going to get to all the material I had planned.  I decided instead to hit the highlights, skip the details and do as many activities as possible.  As with all of my classes, I started with a questions and answer session.  One question asked “What causes snoring and is there anything you can do to stop it?”  I got a laugh when I asked if this question was because someone was having a problem with their current roommate.

After the questions, it was off for a whirlwind of activities and demonstrations:

Distribution of rods and cones in the retina:  The nuns drew a protractor on a piece of paper and then brought a small, colored letter or number into the peripheral and central vision.  They had to note when they observed motion, color and detail.

Visual Illusions:  We looked at several visual illusions to show how the brain responds tries to interpret the outside world.

Sound Localization: To illustrate the benefits of two ears, I asked the nuns to close their eyes.  I then tapped on a glass container to produce a sound.  I moved quietly around the room and asked the nuns to point where the sound came from using two ears.  I moved to a different place in the room and had the nuns close one ear and tapped on the glass again.

Two-point Discrimination Test:  Using a pair of toothpicks attached to a ruler, the nuns mapped different parts of the body to illustrated the different density of touch receptors.

Ruler Drop Reaction Time:  The nuns used a ruler to test their reaction time to visual, auditory and touch stimulation.

For most of the experiments, the nuns recorded their data in their notebooks and on the white board.  After each activity, we discussed the results and focused on anything they observed that was surprising.

At the end of the last class of the day, there was a short ceremony to thank all of the teachers (two teachers from the San Francisco area who taught biology and astronomy, and me for neuroscience). And of course, we went outside to take a group photograph.

I think the nuns enjoyed learning about neuroscience.  They did not disappoint me with all of their questions and their enthusiasm for learning. 

Next week I will be given a short presentation at a conference to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the Science for Monks and Nuns program.  I’ve been told that 400 people will attend including some monks and nuns from prior years.  I look forward to seeing some of my Tibetan monastic students and friends from the past.

Nuns with Bobby Sager and Geshe Lhakdor, the Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives