New Books in Psychology Christopher Kemp, "Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation" (Norton, 2022)
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Aug 24, 2025 Christopher Kemp, a journalist and research scientist focused on Parkinson's disease, shares insights from his book on the neuroscience of navigation. He reveals how our brains create mental maps using specialized neurons like place and grid cells. Kemp discusses fascinating topics, such as the navigation challenges faced by Neanderthals, the impact of GPS on our cognitive abilities, and how brain disorders like Alzheimer's affect our spatial skills. He also draws intriguing comparisons between human navigation and that of various animals, enhancing our understanding of this ancient ability.
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Why The Book Began
- Christopher Kemp decided to write the book after realizing his lifelong difficulty with navigation contrasted with his wife's skill.
- He used personal curiosity about that gulf to dive into scientific literature and interviews.
The Neural Building Blocks Of Maps
- The brain uses specialized neurons—place, head-direction, and grid cells—to build a cognitive map.
- These cell types together encode where we are, which way we face, and a spatial grid over the environment.
Cortex Interprets Spatial Signals
- Cortical regions interpret outputs from specialized spatial neurons to recognize scenes and landmarks.
- Different cortical areas parcel spatial tasks much like the fusiform area parcels face recognition.
