The New Yorker Cartoonists

Cartoonists encapsulate an idea with economy of form. Here three New Yorker cartoonists (David Sipress, Zach Kanin and Paul Noth) explore the creative illusion of putting pen to paper and working out, with neuroscientist Richard Restak, which comes first: the words or image?
Washington DC –based neuroscientist Richard Restak often uses New Yorker cartoons to evaluate the mental state of his patients – whether they register the context, understand the associations at work and even, whether they have a sense of humor. At the start of this thoroughly interactive program, Dr. Restak will call upon volunteers in the audience to also be evaluated in this way, using cartoons provided by our three cartoonists. The audience will also be asked to challenge the cartoonists to create humorous images on the spot, prompting the artists with either a caption or a situation.
Included in the ticket price is a pre-program gallery tour begins at 5:15 p.m.

About the Speakers

Zachary Kanin is a brilliant young cartoonist, former editor of the Harvard Lampoon and now a writer for Saturday Night Live, as well as being a very regular staff cartoonist for The New Yorker.
Paul Noth is a New Yorker cartoonist who has also written for Late Night withConanO’Brien, and for CBS’s The Late Late Show.
David Sipress has published over 400 cartoons in The New Yorker since 1998. His cartoons have been a weekly feature in The Boston Phoenix for more than thirty years, and his work has appeared in Time, Playboy, Gastronomica, Reader’s Digest, The Washington Post, as well as in his own books.
Dr. Richard Restak is Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington Hospital University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and maintains a private practice in neurology and neuropsychiatry in Washington, DC. Dr. Restak has made neuroscience accessible to a general readership in the form of over 18 books on the human brain, two of which were main selections of the Book Of The Month Club. He has contributed brain and neuroscience-related entries for the World Book Encyclopedia, the Campton’s Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica, and the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. His first appearance in Brainwave was to launch his book Think Smart, in a conversation with another New Yorker contributor, Susan Orlean.
Photo courtesy of Zach Kanin

About Brainwave: Illusion

The Buddha said that everything is illusion. What did he mean by that? This sixth edition of Brainwave will enlist the aid of neuroscientists to help us understand how the perception of our world is shaped by the surprising adaptability of our brains. Brainwave includes talks, special film screenings followed by discussions, interactive workshops, and much more!
Learn More
Presenting Sponsor of Brainwave 2013
Cartoonists encapsulate an idea with economy of form. Here three New Yorker cartoonists (David Sipress, Zach Kanin and Paul Noth) explore the creative illusion of putting pen to paper and working out, with neuroscientist Richard Restak, which comes first: the words or image?