science

James Wannerton

James Wannerton is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James Wannerton rather than just read about it. In short: James Wannerton is an English IT professional, artist and writer. He experiences sound to taste synesthesia, including lexical-gustatory synesthesia; i.e. he can "taste" sounds, including words or word sounds.

Key takeaways

James Wannerton belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James Wannerton to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James Wannerton from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James Wannerton is an English IT professional, artist and writer. He experiences sound to taste synesthesia, including lexical-gustatory synesthesia; i.e. he can "taste" sounds, including words or word sounds. As President of the UK Synaesthesia Association, a position he has held since 2006, he’s committed to raising awareness of synesthesia and also actively encourages other synesthetes to speak about their unique and fascinating experiences. He is also Vice President of the International Association of Synesthetes, Artists and Scientists (IASAS), based in the US. Wannerton has been the subject of detailed research carried out by the University College London and the University of Edinburgh regarding his synesthetic condition. His personal interests in synesthesia extend to researching cognitive perception, intuition, reasoning and cognitive dissonance and he has been the subject of a number of published research papers and general interest articles on the subject of synaesthesia both in Europe and the United States. Wannerton has also contributed to a number of TV and radio programs broadcast by ABC, CBS, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. He has also been interviewed for articles in the UK National press as well as in Europe, the US, Africa and Australasia. A 2011 interview with him on the Wellcome Trust blog includes details of his childhood and how synaesthesia has influenced his choice of friends, job and his relationships.

Early life and education James Wannerton was born in Manchester, England on 18 February 1959. His early years were spent in Willesden, North West London, the family moving from there first to Chertsey, Surrey, ending up in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire in early 1969. Following a 14-month stay in Perth, Western Australia, he moved to Blackpool, Lancashire. He attended Stepgates primary school in Surrey, Rosedale School in Welwyn Garden City followed by Monks Walk School, also in Welwyn. He became involved in synesthesia research in 1982 and again in 2000 when he teamed up with Professor Jamie Ward at University College London and Professor Julia Simner at the University of Edinburgh.

Personal life Wannerton divides his time between Blackpool, England and Stuttgart, in Germany.

References

External links BBC Article UK Synaesthesia Association Q and A on the Wellcome Trust Blog Archived 2011-05-30 at the Wayback Machine James Wannerton on Facebook James Wannerton on Twitter

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James Wannerton

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James Wannerton claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James Wannerton before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James Wannerton ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James Wannerton

In research: James Wannerton appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James Wannerton in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James Wannerton is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1959 births, Living people, People from Blackpool, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James Wannerton outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James Wannerton in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James Wannerton means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James Wannerton out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James Wannerton in simple terms?

Why does James Wannerton matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James Wannerton?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James Wannerton.