This is Cognitive Revolution, my show about the personal side of the intellectual journey. Each week, I interview an eminent scientist, writer, or academic about the experiences that shaped their ideas. The show is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Sir Simon Baron-Cohen is professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge, where he is Director of the Autism Research Centre and a Fellow of Trinity College. Simon's work has been foundational in research into Theory of Mind (how we understand the contents of others' thoughts) and Autism. His most recent book is The Pattern Seekers—which connects his years of theorizing about the nature of Autism with how humans have developed over the course of our species' history. In this conversation, we go deep into the genesis of his most influential ideas. I've been a student of Simon's work for many years, and it was a great pleasure to hear more about the personal side of his work.
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#48: Sir Simon Baron-Cohen on Putting Together the Big Picture from the Details