Psych speaker series welcomes Dr. Saari

Nipissing department of Psychology’s speaker series features Dr. Matti Saari, Professor of Psychology, discussing his recent work and travels during his sabbatical year. Titled From Leipzig to Chester: Travels in the History of Psychology, the lecture takes place on Wednesday, November 22, at noon in room H-105. Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served.

Here’s an abstract of Dr. Saari’s lecture:

Over the years I have lectured about many interesting characters in my course, Systems and Theories in Psychology, but I have always felt that there was an odd personal lack of connection with many of these influential people. Sure, I could talk about their lives and theories and include old photos from secondary sources, yet something seemed to be missing. During my sabbatical in the past academic year, I was determined to go and see the places where some of these people lived and take my own photos so I could share my experiences with students in the future. My wife and I started in Leipzig where I visited several rooms at the University of Leipzig where furniture, pictures, and even the very desk where Wilhelm Wundt used to sit, were to be found. Wundt is arguably the first experimental psychologist. That was a perfect beginning for our trips that included a visit to Nietzsche’s home, Freud’s office in Vienna, the Frankl museum, and so on. On our second trip we went to Córdoba, in Spain as well as Madrid, to seek out the birthplace of humanism, and more. We then decided to join Peter Nosko’s group in one of his annual trips to the Galapagos to set foot on the islands that contributed so much to Darwin’s theories. Then to London, England to visit Darwin’s home, outside of the city, and to see his marker in Westminster Abbey. London is also the city where Freud died, after escaping from the Nazis. The house where he lived is a beautiful museum that contains many items from his daily life and career as well as those of his daughter, Anna.  Our last trip was to Chester, Nova Scotia to visit the home of one of Canada’s greatest neuroscientists, Donald Hebb. He died in 1985. This travelogue will share our experiences, through pictures and stories, of the experiences that allowed me to build a living personal connection with the people that I talk about in my lectures.?