Beyond Mirror Neurons

This book is based on an in-depth, filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Greg Hickok, Professor of Cognitive science at UC Irvine, where he directs the Center for Language Science and the Auditory and Language Neuroscience Lab. This thought-provoking conversation examines Greg Hickok’s neuroscience research related to speech and language which led him to eventually reject many aspects of the mirror neuron hypothesis, while giving his views on the mechanisms behind imitation and what mirror neurons really do.


This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Monkey See, Monkey Don’t, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:


Talking Neuroscience - Speech, language and cognition

Enter Mirror Neurons - Grasping monkeys and old theories

One Size Fits All? - The kitchen sink of cognitive science

Imitation - What it is and what it isn’t

Seeking a Controller - Structural investigations

The Community Responds - Sceptics and believers

A Different Perspective - Prediction and sensory states

Sociological Explorations - The merits of primary sources

Neuroplasticity - Speculations on the underlying mechanisms

On the Front Burner - Lots to investigate



About Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series: 


This book is part of an expanding series of 100+ Ideas Roadshow conversations, each one presenting a wealth of candid insights from a leading expert in a focused yet informal setting to give non-specialists a uniquely accessible window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be encountered through standard lectures and textbooks. For other books in this series visit our website: https://ideas-on-film.com/ideasroadshow/.