The 'knowledge' typically takes three years of going round the routes and
landmarks that have to be memorised (usually on mopeds) and undergoing
graded tests at regular intervals.
Many were surprised when Fred Housego, a London cabbie, won Mastermind,
probably the most difficult individual quiz on British TV back in the 80s.
But obviously he had a fast memory and recall from the Knowledge - no doubt
due to his enlarged hippocampus...
Bruce
> Nice illustration here of the interface of biology and culture:
>
> *Scientists have uncovered evidence for an inbuilt "sat-nav" system in the
> brains of London taxi drivers.*
>
> They used magnetic scanners to explore the brain activity of taxi drivers
> as
> they navigated their way through a virtual simulation of London's streets.
>
> Different brain regions were activated as they considered route options,
> spotted familiar landmarks or thought about their customers.
>
> The research was presented at this week's BA Science Festival.
>
> Earlier studies had shown that taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus - a
> region of the brain that plays an important role in navigation.
>
> Their brains even "grow on the job" as they build up detailed information
> needed to find their way around London's labyrinth of streets -
> information
> famously referred to as "The Knowledge".
> "We were keen to go beyond brain structure - and see what activity is
> going
> on inside the brains of taxi drivers while they are doing their job," said
> Dr Hugo Spiers from University College London.
>
> <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7613621.stm>
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