Using some of the fastest MRI technology in the world, Beckman researchers can see the physical mechanics of the spoken (or sung) word.

This speed has allowed researchers to begin exploring the structural nuances of emotional speech. These video demonstrations show Tracey Wzsalek, the Director of Beckman’s Biomedical Imaging Center, reciting an adaptation of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”; and Sepideh Sadaghiani, an Illinois professor of psychology, performing a song in Farsi. Both passages were selected because of their emotional significance to the performers. Professor Mardia Bishop of the Department of Communication is also a collaborator in this initial stage.

Watch the entire reading video here    • Speaking English using ultra-rapid an...  
Watch the entire singing video here    • Singing Farsi using ultra-rapid anato...