Could I learn to think like Sherlock Holmes?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 September 2019
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous fictional detective is renowned for his feats of memory, his observational capacity, tireless energy and an almost supernatural ability to solve the most perplexing crimes from seemingly unconnected facts.
CrowdScience listener Asghar wants to know whether the way Sherlock Holmes solves crimes goes beyond fiction. What does science have to say about the matter? We pit fact against fiction with a leading forensic expert, a sleep scientist and presenter Marnie Chesterton puts herself to the test under the guidance of memory champion Simon Reinhard.
She discovers that most humans are able to train their brain to rival the memory capacity of Sherlock Holmes. And who wouldn’t want that?
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Louisa Field
(Photo: A Sherlock Holmes hat and magnifying glass on a wooden table. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:30.7 | Come Watson, come, the game is afoot. |
| 0:37.0 | This is crowd science from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:40.0 | I'm Marnie Chesterton. |
| 0:41.6 | This week, we've got our ear to the ground, bloodhound on a leash, and a deer stalker |
| 0:46.6 | hat on. |
| 0:48.9 | It is a capital mistake to theorise in advance of the facts. Incensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts. |
| 1:00.0 | We'll be turning our cold, hard science logic to the case of a fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, |
| 1:07.0 | and asking what the real life experts in crime would make of him. |
| 1:12.0 | I think they'd send him out for the bacon sandwiches. |
| 1:14.0 | I really do think they'd send him out for the bacon sandwiches. |
| 1:17.0 | Would his reputation proceed him in reality? |
| 1:20.0 | I suspect nobody would employ him so he wouldn't have a career. |
| 1:25.0 | We'll keep you in suspense a little longer as I throw in the mystery. |
| 1:29.0 | Why have I had the following words stuck in my brain for the past two years. |
| 1:34.0 | Tree, vars, road, brick, frog. |
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