Richard E. Cytowic

Richard E. Cytowic, MD likes how counterintuitive neural explanations of everyday experience can be. The Duke graduate was attracted to studying the brain and is best known for bringing synesthesia back to mainstream science after decades of obscurity and denial.

The Professor of Neurology at GW University holds an MFA in creative writing. His New York Times Magazine cover story about Presidential Press Secretary James Brady, shot in the head, received a 1982 Pulitzer nomination. "Wednesday is Indigo Blue," with David Eagleman, won the Montaigne Medal, his latest "Synesthesia" is part of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series, and now he explores the ever-present problem of screen distractions and what we can do to keep them from overwhelming our dwindling attention span.