This week on "Sunday Morning" (August 19)
"MIND MATTERS": Jane Pauley hosts a special broadcast devoted to the mysteries of the brain. (Originally broadcast March 18, 2018.)
HEADLINES: Aretha Franklin's passing
IN MEMORIAM: Aretha Franklin: An appreciation by Bill Flanagan | Watch Video
The greatest popular singer of the rock era, who died Thursday at age 76, sang songs of both faith and passion, and was a living manifestation of pride.
COVER STORY: What defines a genius? | Watch Video
"Genius" is a word that gets tossed around a lot these days. Author Walter Isaacson, who has written bestselling biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, says smart people are a dime a dozen, but being a genius means you must be creative, imaginative, and possess uncontainable curiosity. Mo Rocca reports.
WEB EXTRA VIDEO: Is curiosity a mark of true genius?
Mo Rocca talks with bestselling author Walter Isaacson, whose biographies of such figures as Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs have given him particular insight into what makes a genius.
WEB EXTRA VIDEO: Vint Cerf on the prospect of a "digital dark age"
Engineer Vint Cerf, who helped pioneer the internet, talks with Mo Rocca about the frailty and impermanence of digitally-stored information and how, in coming decades, the pictures and other digital content that has been preserved on floppy disks, CD-ROMs, and other media will be unusable.
WEB EXTRA VIDEO: Jennifer Doudna on the curiosity of a child
Biochemist Jennifer Doudna talks with Mo Rocca about how her childhood curiosity was nourished, by books and by the natural world around her growing up in Hawaii, and how it inspired her career choice.
For more info:
- Walter Isaacson, president and CEO, The Aspen Institute
- Follow @WaterIsaacson on Twitter
- Vinton G. Cerf, Google
- Jennifer Doudna, University of California at Berkeley
- Wynton Marsalis (Official site)
- Follow @WyntonMarsalis on Twitter
GENIUS: Remembering the genius of Stephen Hawking | Watch Video
"Sunday Morning" looks back at the life of the acclaimed theoretical physicist and author of "A Brief History of Time."
For more info:
- hawking.org.uk (Official site)
ART: Brush with madness | Watch Video
Vincent Van Gogh is just one of scores of artists, writers, musicians and other creative people who are known or believed to have suffered from mental illness. What goes on in the brain that might create a relationship between mania and creativity? Rita Braver reports.
For more info:
- Mary Morton, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Kay Redfield Jamison, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
- Michael Angelakos' Passion Pit on Twitter
TRIPTYCH: Savants
In a series of three vignettes, Susan Spencer introduces us to three remarkable people.
SAVANTS TRIPTYCH #1: An acquired artistry | Watch Video
A childhood injury left Alonzo Clemons with severe brain damage. He can't read or write or do math. And yet, as naturally as the rest of us breathe, Clemons can sculpt, all with his bare hands.
For more info:
PHENOMENA: Psychic spies - inside the government's secret ESP program | Watch Video
Is extra-sensory perception real? Can our minds see thing beyond the physical? Erin Moriarty reports.
For more info:
- anniejacobsen.com
- "Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis" by Annie Jacobsen (Little Brown); Available via Amazon
- urigeller.com
- CIA documents on Project Star Gate
- deanradin.org
- "Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe" by Dean Radin, Ph.D. (Penguin); Available via Amazon
- Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, Calif.
- Sean Carroll, California Institute of Technology
THE BRAIN: The connection between busy hands and brain chemistry | Watch Video
Researchers think activities that occupy our hands -- folding laundry, yardwork -- are actually making our brains happier. Tony Dokoupil tests out the theory.
For more info:
- The Local Yarn Store, South Orange, N.J.
- Dr. Kelly Lambert, University of Richmond, Richmond, Va.
- "Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work" by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin); Available via Amazon
- zariaforman.com
SAVANTS TRIPTYCH #2: A talent for calendars | Watch Video
Artist George Widener is a calendar savant. Give him a year and a date, and he'll produce the day of the week with astonishing accuracy. Susan Spencer reports.
For more info:
- George Widener (Ricco/Maresca Gallery)
- The Treffert Center
ANIMALS: Are we smart enough to measure animal intelligence? | Watch Video
What goes on in an animal's mind? A neuroscientist at Emory University believed he might find out by placing animals in an MRI scanner, and analyzing how their brains respond to different stimulations. Martha Teichner checked out his findings, and the research of other scientists studying the complexities of animal brains.
For more info:
- Dr. Gregory Berns, Emory University, Atlanta
- gregoryberns.com
- Utopia Scientific
- caitlineoconnell.com
- Caitlin O'Connell (National Geographic)
- Elephant Skinny (Tumblr)
- Caitlin O'Connell Rodwell, Stanford University
- Oakland Zoo, Oakland, Calif.
- Jill Richardson, Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
- Dolphins Plus, Key Largo, Florida
HEALTH: Glenn Close's personal battle to destigmatize mental illness | Watch Video
Glenn Close's character in "Fatal Attraction" is one of her most memorable roles – and is considered one of the great villains of the 20th century. But she told Tracy Smith she might play the character differently today, knowing what she knows now about mental illness.
That's because today, Close knows something she didn't back then -- that mental illness runs in her own family. Her nephew, Calen has schizophrenia; and Glenn's sister Jessie, after a lifetime of struggles, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Glenn and Jessie have since started a foundation. Bring Change to Mind creates multimedia campaigns and holds events to encourage communication around mental health, and to de-stigmatize mental illness.
For more info:
- Bring Change to Mind
- Follow @BC2M on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
- calenpick.com
- Fountain House, New York
DRUGS: Can LSD help solve mental health issues? | Watch Video
Faith Salie reports on how LSD and "magic mushrooms" are being studied for their ability to help some patients conquer anxiety and depression without the psychedelia long associated with mind-altering drugs.
For more info:
- "A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life" by Ayelet Waldman (Anchor); available via Amazon
- Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D.,New York University
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
SAVANTS TRIPTYCH #3: A sudden talent for painting | Watch Video
For the last six years Ione Kuhner has gradually lost her grasp on much of daily life due to early-onset Alzheimer's. But amazingly she's also started painting … something the former dental assistant had never thought about doing before her illness. Susan Spencer reports.
For more info:
COMMENTARY: Adam Grant: Mind your meditation! | Watch Video
The psychologist and New York Times bestselling author says people who criticize others for not meditating should, like, chill.
For more info:
NATURE: Bears in Alaska (Video)
We leave you this Sunday Morning in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve, where bears are thinking about landing the catch of the day. Videographer: Mark Emery.
WEB EXCLUSIVES:
CALENDAR: Week of August 20 (Video)
"Sunday Morning" takes a look at some notable events of the week ahead. Jane Pauley reports.
The Emmy Award-winning "CBS Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.
Follow the program on Twitter (@CBSSunday), Facebook, Instagram (#CBSSundayMorning) and at cbssundaymorning.com. "Sunday Morning" also streams on CBSN beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET and at 1 p.m. ET, and is available on cbs.com, CBS All Access, and On Demand. You can also download the free "Sunday Morning" audio podcast at iTunes and at Play.it. Now you'll never miss the trumpet!
Full episodes of "Sunday Morning" are now available to watch on demand on CBSNews.com, CBS.com and CBS All Access, including via Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon FireTV/FireTV stick and Xbox. The show also streams on CBSN beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET and 1 p.m. ET.
You can also download the free "Sunday Morning" audio podcast at iTunes and at Play.it. Now you'll never miss the trumpet!
