TED-Ed: What color is Tuesday? Exploring synesthesia - Richard E. Cytowic

The video explores synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon where senses are intertwined, affecting 4% of the population. It describes various types, such as colored hearing and synesthetic tastes, and explains how synesthesia is a trait rather than a disorder. The video discusses genetic and cultural influences, the role of synesthesia in enhancing memory, and its connection to metaphor creation. It concludes by explaining how non-synesthetes perceive metaphors due to inherent sensory mappings.

What is synesthesia?

• A type of color blindness

• A neurological phenomenon where senses are coupled

• A disorder affecting vision

• A condition that affects only artists

Which of the following is an example of grapheme-color synesthesia?

• Feeling textures when reading

• Seeing numbers as colored

• Tasting flavors when hearing words

• Hearing colors when listening to music

How does synesthesia affect memory?

• It makes it difficult to remember names

• It has no effect on memory

• It enhances memory capabilities

• It causes memory loss

What role does genetics play in synesthesia?

• It is caused by a virus

• It is inherited through the maternal line only

• A single nucleotide change can alter perception

• It has no genetic basis

Why is synesthesia more common among artists?

• Artists are exposed to more colors

• Artists excel at making metaphors

• Artists are more likely to have genetic mutations

• Artists have more developed senses