‘Great programmes are produced by the multicul-tural many, not the mono-cultural elite.’ Lenny Henry

Q & A

hate the Moor’, declares the wicked Iago in Act One Scene Three of Shake-speare’s play 'Othello'. Iago, one of literature’s most ruthless and devi-

ous villains, is on a one-man mission to destroy his military commander’s life, eventually tricking Othello into murdering his wife, Desdemona. Although Othello’s race is left ambiguous,it is clear from the word ‘Moor‘ that Othello is a black man, while Iago and the rest of the characters are white Europeans. As a result, racial politics dominates the play. For example, when Iago tells Braban-tio, Desdemona’s father, that Othello will elope with his daughter, Brabantio is enraged by the idea of a mixed-race marriage. He accuses Othello of using witchcraft to seduce Desdemona, despite that fact that she is in love with Othello. Iago describes Othello in racist and derogatory language as a ‘black ram’, while connotations of good and evil are

frequently depicted using colour. As a result, it is a play that has gener-ated a good deal of debate. Several black actors have refused to play the part of Othello, arguing that playing the role perpetuates racial prejudices and stereo-types about black men. But what if Iago were also played by a black actor? Last week, the Royal Shake-speare Company (RSC) announced that this would be the case, as Iago will be played by Lucian Msamati, who also stars as the pirate Salladhor Saan in the ‘Game of Thrones’ TV series. As the company’s artistic director acknowledged, a black Iago could make ‘Othello’ a very different play when it is staged next year in Stratford-upon-Avon. Some have argued in the past that the play does not have to be centred on black-white racial opposition, and a black Iago will prove this. The announcement comes at a time of increasing anger over the lack of roles for

black actors in the UK. Actors Idris Elba and Lenny Henry are among those who have written an open letter to television execu-tives arguing that more needs to be done to encourage black people into the indus-try. The actress Sophie Okonedo recently commented that unlike her white counter-parts, she struggles to get roles in the UK.

Drama anD Diversity

Some say it is a hugely positive step forward that one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays will include a black Iago. This decision will allow us to consider the play in a new light and to consider the position of black actors in UK theatre more generally. But others say this isn’t enough. Giving one high profile role to a black actor will not solve the problem that currently afflicts UK film, television and theatre. Initiatives such as quotas, or ring-fencing funding to encourage more black people into acting is required, not just a black Iago.

‘I

Q I’m not a fan of Shakespeare, so why does this affect me?A Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time, and his work continues to influence the language we use today. 'Othello' is a particularly powerful and popular play encompassing violence,

love, jealousy and race. If directors can cast a black Iago, it raises the question as to why black actors aren’t being given op-portunities elsewhere.

Q I hadn’t realised this was a problem.A The number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people working in the UK television industry fell by 30.9% between 2006 and 2012, and they now make up 5.4% of the broadcasting workforce. Black

actors are leaving the UK because they are being offered more roles in the US. This is having a devastating impact on the UK creative industries.

SOME PEOPLE SAY…

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that the archetypal villain will be played by a black actor for the first time in Britain. Is this a positive step forward for equality in acting?

First black Iago cast in Shakespeare's Othello

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

THEDAY.CO.UKMONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2014

Best of British: There is no shortage of black talent here, but there is a shortage of work.

YOU DECIDE ACTIVITIES

WORD WATCH

1. Do you think it is important that a black actor has been cast to play Iago by the RSC?

2. Should broadcasters and theatres implement quotas to increase racial diversity on TV and on stage?

1. In groups, discuss your favourite television programmes and films. Work out as a rough percentage how many of the main characters are from ethnic minorities.

Shakespeare – William Shake-speare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote around 38 plays and 154 sonnets, and his work has been translated into every major living language.

Moor – The Spanish occupation by the Moors began in 711 AD when an African army crossed the Strait

of Gibraltar from northern Africa and invaded the Iberian peninsula. They ruled Spain for 800 years.

Colour – After Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is hav-ing an affair, Othello laments: ‘Her name, that was as fresh / As Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black / As mine own face.’ Dian’s visage refers to the god-dess Diana of the moon.

Several black actors – In the actor Hugh Quarshie’s essay Second Thoughts About Othello, he writes: ‘Perhaps Othello is the one [part] which should most definitely not be played by a black actor. Does he not risk making racial stereotypes legitimate and true?’.

Stratford-upon-Avon – Shake-speare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, and died there in 1616.

2. Research the plotline and main themes of ‘Othello.’ Write your own scene or act loosely based on the play and set in modern times.

First black Iago cast in Shakespeare's Othello

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THEDAY.CO.UKMONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2014

‘It’s no more rational to judge people by the colour of their shirts than the colour of their skin.’

Q & A

lack or white, we are all blue,’ proclaimed the giant banner that passed along the stands during this weekend’s match between

Chelsea and Burnley. ‘No racism at the Bridge’, urged banners held aloft by fans, while Chelsea’s players warmed up in T-shirts trumpeting ‘equality’. Chelsea Football Club and its fans were determined to present an image of foot-ball as a force for tolerance and unity. But a shocking video that emerged last week suggests a much uglier truth. The one-minute long film, shot on a mobile phone on the Paris Metro, shows a group of men returning from Chelsea’s game against Paris Saint-Germain. When a black man attempts to board a crowd-ed carriage, the English fans aggressively shove him back onto the platform. Per-plexed, the man tries again. Again he is pushed away. Then the vile chant begins: ‘We’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.’ British football was once a notorious

nest of xenophobia and racial abuse. Black players were regularly pelted with bananas and monkey chants, while many non-white fans preferred to stay away from stadiums during match days for safety’s sake. But after decades of hard work by anti-racist campaigns like Kick It Out, the sport’s image has gradually improved. Most fans are desperate to avoid any sense that the spectre of prejudice still lingers. Chelsea appealed for supporters to help track down the people respon-sible for the racist abuse, and yesterday the search ended in success: the Metro-politan Police have identified three sus-pects, who may now face trial and a pos-sible prison sentence in France. Yet while the incident has been greeted with near-universal disgust, there is less consensus on what it says about football. In a rare instance of accord, Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho and his Arsenal rival Arsene Wenger are both adamant

that racism is a problem in ‘society’ rather than footballing culture. Are they right?

A sport of bother?Many football supporters would agree with Wenger and Mourinho. In many ways, the sport has in fact advanced the cause of tolerance and diversity: football teams are some of the most multicultural groups in Britain today. Fans of nearly every club count players from a huge variety of nationalities and ethnicities among their heroes. Racism is a social problem, some say; football is part of the solution. But not everybody is so convinced of football’s innocence. Every week, some point out, hundreds of thousands of peo-ple crowd into stadiums to roar support for one group of men and hurl abuse at another based on nothing more substan-tial than the colour of their shirt. It’s no great leap from that socially acceptable form of tribalism to something far more malignant.

‘B

Q Is racism really still an issue these days?A Yes. It might not be as socially acceptable as it once was, but non-white people are still widely discriminated against and racial stereotypes are hugely prevalent in the media.

Q Well, I think it’s ridiculous to judge someone for the colour of their skin.

A Good. But don’t be complacent: we’ve all been exposed to racial stereotypes, so we’re all at risk of lapsing into racist modes of thought. Repeated psychological studies have shown, for instance, that almost everybody is quicker to associate negative adjectives with pictures of black people than white — even if the subjects of the experiment are themselves black. Not

judging someone on the basis of their race requires constant vigilance.

SOME PEOPLE SAY…

A group of Chelsea fans who were caught on camera racially abusing a stranger on the Parisian metro have been tracked down by fellow supporters. Is sport the problem or part of the solution?

Football world disowns racist Chelsea fans

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Black, white and blue: Chelsea fans back a message of tolerance and unity © PA

THEDAY.CO.UKMONDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2015

YOU DECIDE ACTIVITIES

WORD WATCH

1. Does football have a racism problem?

2. If you supported a football team and one of your fellow fans was caught being racist, would you feel ashamed? Should you?

1. Roleplay a situation in which you witness a group of people being racist. How do you think you ought to respond?

The Bridge – Chelsea’s stadium is called Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s players – This is not the first time that Chelsea has been embroiled in a controversy over racism. In 2011, the club captain John Terry appeared to shout rac-

ist abuse at a player from the opposing team. He was eventu-ally banned for four games and stripped of the England captaincy.

Paris Metro – The Parisian underground train network. It is famous for its distinctive art nou-veau artwork.

Kick It Out – Originally called

‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football’, this campaign was founded in 1993 with the mission of mak-ing racism unacceptable among British football fans. Many people credit the organisation with aiding the decline in racist chants, but some (including former England captain Rio Ferdinand) accuse it of failing to push for harsh enough punishments.

2. Design a banner to be displayed at football matches urging for an end to racism.

Football world disowns racist Chelsea fans

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THEDAY.CO.UKMONDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2015

‘Some people believe football is a matter of life and death... it’s much, much more important than that.’ Bill Shankly

Q & A

ith 36 minutes gone in the semi-final of the Euro 2012, underdogs Italy were leading Germany by a single goal. The ball broke loose

from a German corner and an Italian mid-fielder lofted a pass over the defence for Mario Balotelli to chase. Powering towards the goal, the young striker took one deft touch then thundered a mighty shot into the top corner. Balotelli knew how important the goal could be; suddenly, the European Cup final was in Italy’s sights. As ecstat-ic teammates hurtled towards him, he ripped off his shirt, clenched every mus-cle in his upper body and fixed the crowd with a challenging glare. It was an unmistakable gesture of defi-ance and strength. Balotelli had been the target of constant criticism and abuse; now, having proved himself on the field with a moment of unstoppable power, he had become a conquering hero. The image

became instantly famous around the world. This week, the eccentric star ordered this warrior pose to be ‘immortalised’ in a statue of bronze and stone. ‘I have ima-gined him as an athlete from ancient times,’ said the sculptor, and the comparison with antiquity is apt: in Ancient Rome, military leaders would often commission statues to memorialise their moments of glory. Another custom of the Roman Republic was to reward victorious generals with a ‘Triumph’: the heroes would lead their troops through packed streets, display-ing to cheering crowds the treasures they had won. It was not unlike the trophy parade now traditional for cup-winning sports teams. The military parallels do not end there. There are banners and flags, horns and drums; charismatic captains and ‘mid-field generals’. Indeed, the whole game is often referred to as an ‘invasion sport’, along with others such as rugby, basket-

ball and hockey. As legendary Dutch manager Rinus Michels, himself known as ‘The General’, once said: ‘Football is war.’

War games For many people, this atmosphere of tribal hostility makes football an ugly and unap-pealing affair. Fans yell vicious abuse, fights break out on the pitch and all of it is driven by blind and irrational loyalty to a meaning-less cause. Football, they say, brings out all of the most dangerous and disturbing char-acteristics of the human race. But this tribalism is part of who we are, reply football fans – and since these primal feelings need to be indulged, sport is a far less harmful outlet than rioting or war. Vir-tues like skill, strength and determination once made senseless bloodshed seem like heroism; now we celebrate the same exhila-rating qualities on the football pitch, with none of the horror attached.

W

Q Does this warlike atmosphere have any effect beyond the pitch?A Sometimes. In 1969, when a football match between Honduras and El Salvador descended into violence, an actual war broke out – though it only lasted 100 hours. That is obviously an extreme example but it

HISTORYCLASSICSPHYSICAL EDUCATION

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is not so uncommon for sporting rivalries to spill over into broader society.

Q For instance?A Tottenham fans in Rome have been targeted twice in recent months by racist thugs. And last year, 74 people were killed in football riots in Egypt: the fallout came close to throwing the country into anarchy.

Q Are there any positive consequences?A Football tribalism can fuel rivalry, but it can also strengthen local bonds. There

are many charities which use football to boost community projects and some football teams (such as St Pauli in Hamburg) fund ambitious social projects on the side.

SOME PEOPLE SAY…

Mario Balotelli, Italy’s talented football eccentric, has commissioned a bronze statue of himself in a defiant, muscular pose. Do acts like these reveal the sport’s essentially warlike nature?

Balotelli to cast himself as hero in bronze

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

FRIDAY 1 MARCH 2013

Lords of war? Mario Balotelli, left, and a statue of Roman Emperor Augustus © Getty Images

YOU DECIDE ACTIVITIES

WORD WATCH

1. How justified are comparisons between sport and war?

2. Are tribal loyalties and rivalries an inevitable part of human nature?

1. Pick an athlete you admire and design a monument in their honour.

Criticism – Balotelli’s behaviour on and off the pitch has often come under attack from managers and the media. He is famous for his outspoken opinions and mad stunts; he often gets sent off or clashes with other players and has been called ‘immature and unpre-dictable’ by a senior coach.

Abuse – Black footballers are still a rare sight in Italian football and Balotelli has suffered from racist abuse since his first professional

match – sometimes even from his own teams’ fans.

Eccentric – There are numerous stories of Balotelli’s outland-ish acts, and many of them are true. Once, for instance, he drove unannounced into a women’s prison to ‘have a look around’.

Statue – It is not only mavericks like Balotelli who get statues built to them. A bronze Alex Ferguson stands with his arm folded outside Manchester’s Old Trafford, for instance, while Arsenal’s stadium is surrounded

by casts of former stars. And a statue recently unveiled in Paris reveals a literal moment of football violence: Zinedine Zidane’s famous headbutt during the 2006 World Cup final.

Roman Republic – Under the Repub-lic, Rome was governed by a consti-tution that mixed democracy, aris-tocracy and monarchy. It was replaced by the Roman Empire when Augus-tus was made Emperor in 27 BC.

Invasion sport – Any sport in which each team attempts to penetrate the territory of its opponent is known as an ‘invasion sport’.

2. French philosopher Albert Camus once said, ‘All that I know most surely about morality and obliga-tions, I owe to football.’ Write a brief essay suggesting what Camus might have meant by this quote. Do you agree that sport can teach important moral lessons?

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Balotelli to cast himself as hero in bronze

BECOME AN EXPERT Check our website for a selection of useful links to videos and further reading.

FRIDAY 1 MARCH 2013

PSHECITIZENSHIPENGLISH & MEDIAHISTORY & POLITICS

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Gripping stories from the heart of the current Syrian uprising, followed by media organisations all over the world, have turned out to be a fake. So who do we trust now?

Damascus gay girl blogger turns out to be man

‘Facts can be misleading and fiction can be true.’

Q & A

fter a weekend of claim and furious counter-claim, it can now be confirmed. The blog titled ‘A Gay Girl in Damascus’ is a hoax. The

millions who have followed the writings of the 35-year-old Arab lesbian champion of the Syrian liberation movement, have actually been reading the words of Tom MacMaster – a 40-year-old, bearded, American, Middle East activist study-ing for a masters degree at Edinburgh University. Many are convulsed with fury over their ‘betrayal’. MacMaster is on the receiving end of a torrent of internet abuse and is being investigated by the University authorities. He has retreated to Turkey with his wife to keep out of harm’s way. When ‘Amina’ started writing the blog in February, it all seemed so exciting. Here was a genuine, fresh voice writing

undercover from inside a dangerous and oppressive regime. The first words of the blog were full of promise: ‘Almost every time I speak or write to other LGBT people outside the Middle East, they always seem to wonder what it’s like to be a lesbian here in Damascus. Well, I always find myself answering, it’s not as easy as I’d like it to be but it’s probably easier than you might think.’ And over the following months ‘she’ did not disappoint. There were poems, touch-ing reflections on faith and freedom, and thrilling stories of escapes from the vicious Syrian secret police. It felt as if we were getting a remarkable human story. The public – and the media – lapped it up. The Day lapped it up. We pub-lished two stories (on May 9th and June 9th) about the Syrian uprising, which were partly based on this apparently reliable source.

Guilt and lies

Now the real author Tom MacMaster, rootled out after investigations by a US radio network, has admitted his guilt. Yesterday he published a confession on the Gay Girl blog. ‘I want to apologise to anyone I may have hurt or harmed in any way…I am really truly sorry and I feel awful about this…I betrayed the trust of a great many people…and played with the emotions of others unfairly.’ And the question many are asking is: who do we trust? The same technology that means words can be fiction, photos doctored and identities invented also gives us access across unimaginable distances to millions of other lives. Are we modern humans closer to the truth as a result? Or are we caught in a web of lies?

A

Q Journalists are always falling for hoaxes aren’t they?A Actually the respected media organisations such as The Financial Times, the BBC, The Guardian, The Economist and The New York Times are very careful to check stories as much as they can. They have a pretty good record.

Q Yes, but still there have been some pretty famous hoaxes that they all fell for.A True. Everyone was fooled 40 years ago by a fake autobiography of the American tycoon Howard Hughes, and 30 years ago by fake Hitler diaries. More recently a young reporter, Jayson Blair, had an illustri-ous period as a reporter for The New York Times during which he made up interviews with people who did not exist. In 1981, a newspaper reporter called Janet Cooke won

the top prize in American journalism for an interview with an eight-year-old heroin addict – who turned out to be a total fab-rication.

SOME PEOPLE SAY…

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

TUESDAY 14 JUNE 2011

Europe engulfed by migration crisisThousands of people are arrivingin Europe from the Middle Eastand Africa, seeking a safe placeto live and causing problemsacross the continent. Wouldwelcoming them be the moralchoice?

THURSDAY, 03 SEPTEMBER 2015 THEDAY.CO.UK

‘We are thousands here, where should we go?’The young Syrian woman was among a large

crowd gathered outside Keleti station inHungary’s capital, Budapest, on Tuesday. Thepolice had evacuated the station to prevent herand others from boarding trains to Germanyand Austria.

This was the setting for the latestinstalment of a crisis which has engulfedEurope this summer. In Calais, thousands ofpeople hoping to make their way to Britainhave put themselves in danger and causedchaos for travellers by climbing fences andattempting to jump onto trains and lorries. 71bodies believed to be Syrian migrants werefound in an abandoned lorry in Austria lastweek. Boats full of people have regularlyarrived on Greek and Italian islands, and morethan 2,000 others have died attempting tocross the Mediterranean this year alone.Record numbers of migrants are now enteringEurope.

On Tuesday, Labour leadership contender

Yvette Cooper called Britain’s response to thesituation ‘immoral’. She argued that Britainshould grant asylum (a safe place) to more ofthose fleeing the Middle East, saying thecountry could accept 10,000 people fleeing IS(so-called ‘Islamic State’) in Syria and Iraq. Todate, the country has only accepted 200refugees from Syria.

Prime Minister David Cameron respondedyesterday that taking more refugees wasunlikely to be productive, saying: ‘I don’t thinkthere is an answer that can be achieved simplyby taking more and more refugees’. He arguedthat the best response would be to strengthenthe countries which people were coming from.

But others in Europe have been morewelcoming. Germany expects to grant asylumto 800,000 people in 2015, and more than780 ordinary people have signed up toRefugees Welcome, a website where citizenscan share their homes with those in need. Over11,000 Icelanders have also offered theirhomes to Syrian refugees in an effort to lift the

government’s cap of just 50 asylum seekerseach year.

A moral questionA moral questionCommentators Will Hutton and MatthewNorman say that Germany is setting a moralexample to Britain. The refugees are desperatepeople and many of them fear for their lives. Ashuman beings, it is our duty to listen to theoverwhelming impulse to help them and givethem a home. As German Chancellor AngelaMerkel says: ‘we will manage’.

But Paul Collier disagrees, saying that themoral duty is not to tempt people to believe theimpossible. No country could ever welcome allwho wish to come there; the solution lies instrengthening global societies, not placingstrain on western ones. Western governments’well-intended actions are making things worseby encouraging people to engage in recklessbehaviour.

Q & AQ: Q: What impact will these refugees have onWhat impact will these refugees have onpeople like me?people like me?A: Even before these migrants arrive, theirstories have an impact on us: they prompt callsfor action, whether by accepting these peopleinto our countries or through other means.

Their economic and cultural impact is moredisputed: some are concerned that they willput the cohesiveness of European societies atrisk, while others say that Europeans will learnand benefit from interacting with people whohave endured humbling experiences.

Q: Q: What might happen next?What might happen next?A: The end of summer may reduce the volume

of people coming over; conditions for travel,across the Mediterranean in particular, willbecome harder over the winter. But theproblem is unlikely to go away soon: therefugees’ countries of origin face deep,complex problems.

YOU DECIDE1. Should Britain accept more refugees?

2. Is the morally right action to offer a home tothose seeking sanctuary?

ACTIVITIES1. Create a news report from Budapest, Calaisor Austria on the migration situation there.Write the report or, if you have the means,present one for the radio or television news.Use the video from Budapest if you needinspiration.

2. Write a letter to the heads of governments inEurope, outlining what you think they shoulddo about the crisis and why. Use the links tohelp you.

SOME PEOPLE SAY...‘Morality did not evolve to promote universalcooperation.’Joshua Greene, psychology professor

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Read this article on theday.co.uk for links to recommended videos and further reading.BECOME AN EXPERT

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PreventPrevent ––

Record numbersRecord numbers ––

WORD WATCHHungary’s authorities, like others in

the European Union (EU), are obliged to upholdEU rules. Among these is the idea thatrefugees should claim asylum in the firstcountry in which they arrive, rather than beingable to move around the EU and choose acountry which they want to move to.

107,500 migrants seekingasylum arrived in July alone. This was the third

Only accepted 200 refugeesOnly accepted 200 refugees ––

Asylum seekersAsylum seekers ––

consecutive month in which a record had beenset and was significantly more than thenumber in June (70,000).

Britain has,however, promised to accept some more, andto fund refugee camps on the Syrian border forthose fleeing the violence there.

Asylum seekers are refugeeimmigrants — those who have fled fromdangerous situations, such as war andoppression, and who ask for protection and a

safe place in the country in which they arrive.Currently, many come from war-torn countriessuch as Syria or those with oppressive regimessuch as Eritrea. Many migrants are not asylumseekers or refugees, as they move for otherreasons (for example, in order to do a job).

Notes

‘You are your memories.’

Q & A

efore his death in 2009, only a handful of people knew Henry Molaison’s name. Yet hundreds of scientists had quizzed and tested

him, while images of his brain had appeared in almost every psychological textbook. Without ever becoming aware of his influence, he had transformed an entire intellectual field. Molaison, the subject of a new book entitled Permanent Present Tense, started experiencing epileptic fits aged ten. Over the next 17 years they became increasingly unbearable until, in his desperation, he turned to a doctor who suggested an ‘experimental operation’ could hold the cure. Two holes were drilled into the patient’s skull using a tool constructed from car parts, and the doctor proceeded to remove an entire region of Molai-son’s brain – the hippocampus. It was a crude procedure. But the psychological research current in 1953 suggested that it might work.

Amazingly, it did: Molaison never expe-rienced a crippling seizure again. But something else had changed too. Although he was just as calm and intelligent as he had always been, he could recall almost nothing of the years before his operation. Even more seriously, he was unable to form any new memories at all. For the remaining 54 years of his life, Molaison’s amnesia imprisoned him constantly in the present moment. Beyond the previous thirty seconds he could remember neither people, facts nor experiences from his past; only vague impressions and procedural memory remained. Molaison’s damaged brain was a personal tragedy, but a scientific gold-mine. ‘HM’ (his real name was kept secret until his death) was examined by scientists for thousands of hours. The case of HM revolutionised our understanding of how memory works. Previously it had been thought that new synapses were constantly created in the

brain, capturing a record of memory as though it were being captured on film reel. HM proved that each region of the brain was in fact highly specialised, with different parts of the brain responsible for each type of memory. Now Suzanne Corkin, the neuroscientist who led his case, has published a detailed chroni-cle of his condition. It’s a fascinating story – but what of the man himself?

A life scientific

In one episode of Corkin’s book, she describes her ‘ecstasy’ after Molaison’s death at seeing his ‘precious brain’ removed to the safety of a metal bowl. She freely admits that her main interest in him was intellec-tual rather than humane – but given how the insights he has brought can help humanity, she believes that this attitude is justified. That makes some people very uncomfort-able. Scientists claimed this man’s brain for their own, some say, and stole from him countless hours of life, while his very condi-tion prevented him from knowing it. Nobody should be made a sacrifice to science.

B

Q Amnesia sounds terrifying! Is it common?A It depends what you mean by ‘amnesia’: in its broadest sense, the term just means a loss of memory. It’s not that uncommon to forget a brief period because of psy-chological trauma or a head injury, but the

kind of amnesia that HM suffered is very rare indeed.

Q If you don’t have your memories, are you even the same person as you were?A That’s a very interesting question. If a person is defined by their personality, then HM suggests that memory might not be that fundamental: he retained the same traits and enjoyed distinctive style of joke

that his psychologists called ‘Henryisms’. But a lack of memory does impair how you perceive yourself – and that, perhaps, is at the heart of a person’s identity.

SOME PEOPLE SAY…

He was intelligent and witty, but the man science knew as HM could remember nothing beyond the past 30 seconds of his life. A new book recounts the story of the world’s most famous brain.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

SCIENCEPSYCHOLOGYRELIGIOUS STUDIES & ETHICS

Psychologist reveals tale of man without memory

WWW.THEDAY.CO.UKWEDNESDAY 5 JUNE 2013

MENTAL MAP: A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE BRAIN

HIPPOCAMPUSLONG-TERM

MEMORY

TEMPORALLOBE

LANGUAGE

DORSOLATERALPREFRONTAL

LOGIC

BRAIN STEMBASIC BODYFUNCTIONS

CEREBELLUM

CO-ORDINATION

OCCITAL LOBE

VISION

YOU DECIDE ACTIVITIES

WORD WATCH

1. If a relative had a rare kind of brain damage, would you give psychologists permission to study them for the sake of medicine and science?

2. If all of your memories were suddenly deleted, would you still be the same person as you had been before?

1. Devise an experiment to test an aspect of memory, then try it out on a partner.

Epileptic fits – Brain malfunctions experienced by about one in every 100 people, with symptoms including loss of bodily control, pain, severe confusion and some-times unconsciousness. Most people who suffer from epilepsy

can manage it and live a largely normal life, but in occasional cases it results in sudden death.

Hippocampus – Located in the middle of the brain, in an area called the medial temporal lobe and named after the Greek word for ‘seahorse’ because of its shape. The hippocampus is almost solely responsible for

forming memories that we can consciously express. It also has an important role in forming future plans and ideas.

Procedural memory – Memory of an action or process. We use this to learn skills like swimming, driv-ing, cooking or even solving maths equations. It’s often known as the ‘how to’ bit of our memory.

2. Draw a simple diagram showing where the hippocampus is located in the brain.

Psychologist reveals tale of man without memory

BECOME AN EXPERT Check our website for a selection of useful links to videos and further reading.

WWW.THEDAY.CO.UKWEDNESDAY 5 JUNE 2013