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The programme that explains the present by exploring the past

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

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Sugata Mitra, Jonas Hassen Khemiri and Gregory Berns challenge each other on their ideas.

Sugata Mitra on his experiment from India's slums, Jonas Khemiri on whether language helps or hinders comprehension and Gregory Berns on why understanding our brain can help us think differently.

The Forum, the BBC World Service programme which boldly crosses boundaries: scientific, creative and geographic, presented by Bridget Kendall.

SUGATA MITRA
Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University talks about the role of Educational Computer Technology in helping children in geographically, economically and socially remote areas of the world. 

This includes the hole in the wall experiment where a kiosk with a computer was built in to a wall in a slum in Delhi allowing children to use it freely and to teach themselves computer skills. His experiments served as inspiration for the author behind the film Slumdog Millionaire.

JONAS HASSEN KHEMIRI
The award winning author and playwright juggles his dual heritage from Sweden and Tunisia to take issue with names and their ability to confer meaning. His latest play Invasion! is currently on at the Soho theatre in London.

GREGORY BERNS
Can we teach ourselves to think differently? Neuroscientist Gregory Berns argues that by understanding how our brain works we can train ourselves to become more innovative and creative. By recognising the cognitive functions that makes someone an Iconoclast - a person who does something that others say can't be done - we can perhaps even become one ourselves.

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