1981 - ½ prize to Roger W. Sperry

The brain consists of two structurally similar halves called hemispheres. They are united by millions of nerve fibers, thus it appears impossible to test whether they distinct functionally. Studding epileptic patients in whom these connections were severed in order to alleviate seizures, Sperry demonstrated that each hemisphere has its own stream of conscious awareness, perceptions and memories. The left brain is superior in abstract thinking, interpretation of symbolic relationships and mathematical calculations. We communicate with this half, since it can speak and write. The right hemisphere is mute, lacking the possibility to reach the outside world. But it is superior to the left with its capacity for concrete thinking, the perception of complex sounds, and with processing and recognizing spatial patterns and faces.