MIT neuroscientists discover the brain can reason without words
MIT neuroscientists have found striking evidence that language and logical reasoning are powered by separate systems in the brain. Even people with severe language impairments caused by stroke were able to solve challenging logic puzzles as well as people without those impairments, while brain scans showed that language-processing regions stayed largely quiet during reasoning tasks.
MIT researchers have demonstrated that logical reasoning can occur without relying on language. In a study published in the journal PNAS, a team led by MIT associate professor Evelina Fedorenko found that individuals with severe language impairments could still solve logical problems. Brain imaging revealed that language regions were not activated during these tasks.
The researchers developed logic games using numbers and visual patterns to test reasoning independently of language. Participants with language impairments performed as well as a control group, demonstrating that language is not required for logical reasoning. The brain scans also showed a division between language and logic systems, with the language system not activated during logical tasks.
The findings challenge the notion that symbolic rule induction requires linguistic capacities and have implications for understanding acquired language impairments.
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