I just watched the documentary Aby Warburg: Metamorphosis and Memory (Wechsler, 2016) via Kanopy (for free using my local library's gateway) and thought that others here interested in the ideas of memory in culture, history, and art history may appreciate it. While a broad biography of a seminal figure in the development of art history in the early 20th century, there are some interesting bits relating to art and memory as well as a mention of Frances A. Yates whose research on memory was influenced by Warburg's library.

Also of "note" is the fact that Aby Warburg had a significant zettelkasten-based note taking practice and portions of his collection (both written as well as images) are featured within the hour long documentary.

Researchers interested in images, art, dance, and gesture as they relate to memory may appreciate this short film as an entrance into some of Aby Warburg's more specialized research which includes some cultural anthropology research into American Hopi indigenous peoples. cc: @LynneKelly

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gesture mismatch indicates reception to instruction

People can demonstrate a mismatch between what they gesture and what they say. This mismatch occurs both during development as well as in adulthood and can often be seen during problem solving. Susan Goldin-Meadow had research that indicates that learners who demonstrate this sort of gesture mismatch are more receptive to instruction.

Is there a way to encourage or force gesture mismatch as a means of improving pedagogy?

Research by Christian Heath indicates that in interpersonal communication that speakers gesture meaning before they form the related words and listeners begin nodding at the gestures before they hear the spoken words.

I'm reminded of how Academy Award winning film editor Walter Murch once told me that his first edit of a feature film was always done without any sound at all. If the motions and actions of the actors could communicate as much meaning as possible, then the spoken words would only help to supplement the storytelling.

Evolutionarily speaking many animals communicate via gesture (body movements, tail wagging, etc.), so it isn't a far stretch to declare that linguists would consider gesture to be a precursor to language.

Gesture can supply contextual meaning of a speaker's meaning that isn't found in their spoken words.

What potential implications might this have to famous examples of visual versus non-visual communication, specfically: - The Kennedy/Nixon debates in which television and radio audiences had different perceptions of who won or lost. - Donald J. Trump's speeches where his politicobabble could be construed to mean almost anything to any listener, but his gestures may sway the meaning to a more concrete meaning.