actual things for humans. but can we choose what which will things for humans. but can we choose what we believe and why do we believe in the 1st place we'll ask michael shermer and why do we believe in the 1st place we'll ask michael shermer psychologist science writer and founder of the skeptic magazine psychologist science writer and founder of the skeptic magazine. michael. michael shermer welcome to the show it's great to have you with us lots to talk about many psychologists to yourself to have you with us lots to talk about you know many psychologists to yourself including say that believing. thinking. that believing improbable things is innate for humans

so our religion is basically and necessary mechanism very human and so our religion is basically and necessary mechanism that sort of. mother nature has provided us with that sort of. mother nature has provided us with to survive be happy in reality which is often dire you have to go to survive be happy in reality which is often dire. yeah i think that's right in a strong word but what i mean by. belief speeds right in it's a strong word but what i mean by. beliefs being you know on them or not the intro inside the business or. even into sunday as they said is out such are. the nation it's a world i don't understand the world can have a to be it's called learning the so see that learning it's like class learning association learning whether it's like classical conditioning like pavlov's dog or

or operant conditioning like skinner's rats conditioning like pavlov's dog or or operant conditioning like skinner's rats it's connecting one thing to another in the environment to try and understand cause it's connecting one thing to another in the environment to try and understand causality all organisms do it so my little thought experiment is imagine you're on a homage ality all organisms do it so my little thought experiment is imagine you're on a hominid outlane a piece of clay africans of it that's when you go and you and yours are here to ruin us here when the garage. at its is it that interest a dangerous predator or is it just the wind now if you assume the wrestle in the grass is a dangerous predator or is it just the wind now if you assume the wrestle in the grass is a dangerous predator and it turns out it's just just the wind you've made a type one or a false positive predator and it turns out it's just just the when you've made a type one or a false positive you thought there was

a real connection has no connection but no harm you just kind of run away you thought there was a real connection has no connection but no harm you just kind of run away but if you think the rustle in the grass is a day is that is just the wind it turns out it's a dangerous predator but if you think the rustle in the grass is a day that is just the wind and it turns out it's a dangerous predator your luggage which you just you've been much i'm just i'm just and getting out of him in a jet in the gene pool. so my argument is that we evolve the capacity to assume that a pool so my argument is that we evolve the capacity to assume that all rustles in the grass are dangerous predators instead of just the wind and therefore all rustles in the grass are dangerous predators instead of just the wind and therefore we tend to believe things that are not true just in case because some of our we we tend to believe things that are not true just in case because some of them are true

and therefore believing weird things by the way this is called superstition are true and therefore believing weird things by the way this is called superstition or magical thinking believing weird things like that is not a bug in our magical thinking believing weird things like that is not a bug in the system to the system each or comes equipped with in the software on the pro soccer where of our programming to try to connect things in the environment just in case there's a real connection ramming to try to connect things in the environment just in case there's a real connection. all right so. you're saying believe star almost restraint all right so. you're saying believe star almost restraint by common sense just like a writing bait helps to harness an emotional by common sense just like a writing bait helps to harness an emotional horse but this horse well you know

still go where and where if that horse but this horse well you know it still go where and where if it once are you saying that our emotional self will always take over and that rush once are you saying that our emotional self will always take over that rational one yes well we are both rational and in motion that it is yes well we are both rational and emotional that is reason is a tool that we used to try. and how that. is a tool that we use to try to understand how the world works emotions are also a kind of a tool it's a way of reasoning very crude works emotions are also kind of a tool it's a way of reasoning very quickly so evolution designed our emotions to drive equally so evolution designed our emotions to drive us to do things so you don't have to calculate how many calories your body needs it in

a given day you just feel hungry so that a motion of hunger drives us to do things so you don't have to calculate how many calories your body needs it in a given day you just feel hungry so that a motion of hunger drives you to eat something and then when you're satisfied you've had enough you no longer have that feeling or that you to eat something and then when you're satisfied you've had enough you no longer have that feeling or desire to be attracted to somebody else this is an evolved trait that helps the species purpose dyer to be attracted to somebody else this is an evolved trait that helps the species perpetrated a few. you have sex and children on it but no no one q. you have sex and children and so on but no one calculates exactly exactly they're attracted to somebody to see you know that you know him of the operation or these to see him at bracieux or the cemetery of their faces or the completion of some of their star trio you know

what they said those are the most complex but there's huge skin no one does those calculations you just feel attracted to somebody so in that sense things emotions like anger and track the city so in that sense things emotions like anger and jealousy and you know those things that. you know where they have a sorts of reason things mean about their a way of reasoning about the world very quick this world color. and you do please have a is it called 5 percent increase about some of the initial you just have a in to in a sense about something and we're pretty good about this with people for example if you have a sense like this person on we're pretty good about this with people for example if you have a sense like this person i don't have a good feeling about him i don't trust him i don't know what it is i just don't feel right about him or the situation you're in i don't have to use likely could pretty feel i mean about your out here am i don't trust him i don't know what it is i just don't feel right about him or the situation you're in those are usually

pretty accurate feeling we have. but it's not it's not such psychic power it's our it's it's a way of the reason he's in a very rapidly in their theory rather rapidly here pick about the. from picking the same thing from i mean from the human bone aren't what you know they don't know what they are i don't know what they are but it's just a get in there i had said it's actually a good rate that there we have it but it's just a feeling you get and that's actually a good trait that we have well ok let me take this a little step. further well ok let me take this a little step further let's talk about what's real or not at the end of the day what let's talk about what's real or not at the end of the day what we do decipher is real right because many we now and physicists have talked to decipher is real

right because many we're now into physicists have talked to for instance he says she is suggesting that everything to me for instance he says she is suggesting that everything that we think is real and might just be in the ocean when you say that we think is real and might just be. what do you think. yeah i don't think that that's correct don't think. bradley. hold the level that which we live that is the macro physical world we. talk which we live that is the macro physical world with michio is talking about there or brian cox one of the physicists the study quote is going about expert at that for brian cox one of the physicists the study quantum physics for example they're talking about the subatomic particle and this is a very different world they're talking about the subatomic particle and this is

a very different world it's the size of atoms if you had like a tennis ball here is the nucleus of the size of atoms if you had like a tennis ball here is the nucleus of the atom and the electrons going around it sort of the energy shield or field of the electrons going around it sort of the energy shield or field of the electrons going around it these would be like blocks away from the little tennis ball here the electrons going around these would be like blocks away from the little tennis ball here it's mostly empty space the atom is mostly empty space so that. it's mostly empty space the atom is mostly empty space so that's why people will settle. to talk about about you know this chair there is politically empty here is completely empty or or this is really empty space. this is at the 1000000 acro a lot of people the seattle based yeah but not at the macro level at the macro

level the atoms are so tightly bound that essentially this chair that i'm sitting in is not empty arms are so tightly bound that essentially this chair that i'm sitting in is not empty space it's a solid thing that's why i don't fall through it and they sit and have it's a little thing that's why i don't fall through it and and have a little accident here here. at the met macro level of a level it's it's not it's not. what we see and feel is see and feel is fairly out of it fairly accurate now portrait of reality now there are some there are people saw that m.p.r. you believe you that are you that. said hey this is pay this problem of what's what's it like to be be a bag of at bat at like i can't know what it's like to be a bag because i don't have sonar this echolocation system like i can't know what it's like to be a bag because i don't have sonar this echolocation system and the big ears to pick

up the sound bouncing up objects in the brain and the big ears to pick up the sound bouncing up objects in the brain apparatus to process the sound information and so on i can know what is an apparatus to process the sound information and so on i can know what it's like to be a bad back can't know what it's like to be me and so whatever let's say like to be a bad bad can't know what it's like to be me and so whatever let's say a thing in the environment looks like to a bat it probably doesn't look like that to me we probably thing in the environment looks like to a bat it probably doesn't. i look like that to me we probably have very different images of what the world looks like but there's still really a say a wall of very different images of what the world looks like but there's still really a say a wall here and if the bat is flying toward it it's going to move around the wall in here and if the bat is flying toward it it's going to move around the wall and i

see the wall or i feel the wall the bad here's the wall the sensory apparatus i see the wall or i feel the wall the bad here's the wall the sensory apparatus is different the neural structure processing the sensory information is different between me and the bat this is different the neural structure of processing the sensory information is different between me and the bat but there really are walls there really are things that we have to navigate around in the world so but there really are walls there really are things that we have to navigate around in the world so that part is not in a loop that's really hard out is already not so on and argue that it's really a view so i argue that we evolve senses that give us a fairly accurate portrait of what the world is really like and in the best tool we have for understanding that world is science because of senses that give us a fairly accurate portrait of what the world is really like and in the best tool we have for understanding that world is science because subjectively you and i may be

wrong or or or disturbed if you are not i may be wrong or or or distorted or in our or suffering from illusions but collectively we can get an accurate picture of the world or suffering from illusions but collectively we can get an accurate picture of the world so well what about creativity how dass creativity say so well what about creativity how dass creativity of fact our ability to believe in things does that mean that the fact our ability to believe in things does that mean that the richer mention ation we have the more likely we are to believe weird stuff or not necessarily richer mention ation we have the more likely we are to believe weird stuff or not necessarily. i think there's a relationship between this and the believing brain i. i think there's a relationship between this and the believing brain i. toyed with the idea that

this relationship between say madness and creativity or that toyed with the idea that this relationship between say madness and creativity or that that people are they who are very open to new ideas they can they make connections that people are they who are very open to new ideas they can they make connections across disciplines or new fields that you and i maybe wouldn't make across disciplines or new fields that you and i maybe wouldn't make but that so a bit open that. is they also built it leave a lot of new ideas they also believe a lot of wacky ideas so for example i know a lot of really smart people nobel prize winners and so on they believe the weirdest things like what an idea in part is so i think i sample 100 no lot of really smart people nobel prize winners and so on they believe the weirdest things like what and part i sometimes wonder. oh that like oh.

it was like a spirit. works was a conspiracy or that astrology works or that e.s.p. is real so that these that kind the as if this brings that. ethics up to the kinds of things that most scientists and skeptics are skeptical they think there might be something to this talk in the believing brain about kary mullis they think there might be something to this talk in the believe in brain about kerry mullis who won the nobel prize for his on this war nobel prize as they are his piece. the. technique of taking a little snippet of d.n.a. and then reproducing that it's a very common technique of taking a little snippet of d.n.a. and then reproducing that it's a very common technique carried. a super interesting super smart creative guy he drum he dropped out kary mullis super interesting super smart creative guy he drum he dreamt up this this solution to this problem for which he won the nobel prize

while he was surfing amped up this this solution to this problem for which he won the nobel prize while he was surfing and smoking pot and just kind of having a creative moment out in they train and smoking pot and just kind of having a creative moment out in nature you know. like you and i are not going to have that kind of experience all right or i start you know. like you and i are not going to have that kind of experience all right or einstein has this dream of fly and has this dream the most. beam of light yeah whoa ok i don't have dreams like that but but that kind of openness and create i don't have dreams like that but but that kind of openness and creativity might lead you to think well all these other things are real not all over me to vittie might lead you to think well all these other things are real not all of them are real sometimes the creative

ideas you come up with are just there just sometimes the creative ideas you come up with are just they're just great crazy they're crackerjack they're not real and so the rub here is to a crazy they're there crackerjack they're not real and so the rub here is to have a mind open enough to accept radical new creative ideas that no one have a mind open enough to accept radical new creative ideas that no one else has thought of that turn out to be right but not so open minded that you believe everywhere else has thought of that turn out to be right but not so open minded that you believe every wacky idea that comes down the pike and so you know when people say well you know they laughed at the idea that comes down the pike and so you know when people say well you know they laughed at that they laughed at galileo . oh they laughed at the wright brothers you know it's like well they laughed at the marx brothers being let it have to go away oh they laughed at the wright brothers you know it's like well they laughed at the marx brothers being laughed at does it mean you're right so for every galileo. there's $10000.00 does that mean

you're right so for every galileo. there's 10000 other scientists who had creative new ideas and they were wrong and i think i was in other scientists who had creative new ideas and they were wrong and i encountered these people all the time they send me they send me their letters every week of new theories that they have counted these people all the time they send me they send me their letters every week of new theories that they have most of which are completely incomprehensible so it's not that being creative and having and most of which are completely and comprehensible so it's not that being creative and having a new idea means you're right and you should win the nobel prize most new ideas even a new idea means you're right and you should win the nobel prize most new ideas even in science even by professional scientists are not right so some science even by professional scientists are not right so so just one final point.

just because you brought up so just one final point. just because you brought up science is just really interesting i want to ask you because i hurt the idea that science is just really interesting i want to ask you because i hurt the idea that pseudo scientific research usually precede scientific revolution and people try to fit a scientific research usually precede scientific revolution and they will try to fill some gaps in the existing picture of the world and then to place city a little some gaps in the existing picture of the world and then the city set a scientific research leads to the so-called paradigm shift and said a scientific research leads to the so-called paradigm shift do you think that. we're actually on the verge of another scientific revolution if we look at that way just saying that we're actually on the verge of another scientific revolution if we look at that way well it depends on the field i mean most fields in the sciences

well it depends on the field i mean most fields in the sciences are fairly well set it doesn't mean they're right but so here's how it works so you mention the words are fairly well set that doesn't mean they're right but so here's how it works so you mention the word paradigm so a paradigm is this sort of collective body of knowledge that most of the people working in that paradigm so paradigm is this sort of collective body of knowledge that most of the people working in that field agree this is pretty true these are pretty solid well supported ideas field agree this is pretty true these are pretty solid well supported ideas then around the paradigm you have these anomalies that don't quite fit and what do you do then around the paradigm you have these anomalies that don't quite fit and what do you do with the anomalies well you assign graduate students to figure out what the problem is with the anomalies well you assign graduate students to figure out what the problem is. or you know somebody has to try to work on that problem now if it's or you know somebody has to

try to work on that problem now if it's if it's true that there's enough of these anomalies that build up and you have a new theory that says i can if it's true that there's enough of these anomalies that build up and you have a new theory that says i can explain not only the anomalies but all the the core ideas to explain not only the anomalies but all the the core ideas to then you might have a paradigm shift you might have a brand new scientific theory that over then you might have a paradigm shift you might have a brand new scientific theory that overthrows the past idea doubt but the problem is that most people who think throws the past idea down but the problem is that most people who think they have a paradigm. 15 new idea they don't they they've gone off the re if they have a paradigm shifting new idea they don't they they've gone off the rails they just think they do but they don't and so you never hear about these because bills they

just think they do but they don't and so you never hear about these because they get thrown out fairly early on they run experiments they don't pass the test or they don't and they get thrown out fairly early on they run experiments they don't pass the tests or they don't even try to test their ideas they just bounce some colleagues or friends and even try to test their ideas they just bounce them off colleagues or friends and and they go nowhere and there's a lot more of those that there are the famous and they go nowhere and there's a lot more of those that there are the famous paradigm shifting ideas like so einstein comes up with you know his is theory of rest paradigm shifting ideas like so einstein comes up with you know his is theory of relativity that explains some of the things that newton couldn't explain but it's not that newton was relativity that explains some of the things that newton couldn't explain but it's not that newton was wrong if you want to get a spacecraft to the moon just newtonian all if you want to get

a spacecraft to the moon just newtonian mechanics is pretty much all you need or even a moment. in which doubt there's a sudden i'm going with some general relativity adjustments made but not much so it's not that newton was wrong and einstein was right all relativity adjustments made but not much so it's not that newton was wrong and einstein was right is that einstein added to the newtonian paradox and that's usually how it works is that einstein added to the newtonian paradox and that's usually how it works in science it's not that this this state idea we've held on for centuries is completes in science it's not that this this state idea we've held on for centuries is completely wrong and we need a whole new. you hear this a lot. who think they have to be wrong and we need a whole new idea you hear there's a lot of new agers who think they have a new idea but usually they don't so there's

a reason science is so conservative. but usually they don't so there's a reason science is so conservative because we know that most new ideas people have already correct because we know that most new ideas people have already correct all right michael that hold your thought we're going to take a break right now. all right michael that hold your thought we're going to take a break right now.

you know world big partisan. you know world of big partisan movies. and conspiracy it's time to wake up to. and conspiracy it's time to wake up to dig deeper to hit the stories that mainstream media refuses to tell more than ever dig deeper to hit the stories that mainstream media refuses to tell more than ever we need to be smarter we need to stop slamming

the door on the bath we need to be smarter we need to stop slamming the door on the bath and shouting past each other it's time for critical thinking it's time shouting past each other it's time for critical thinking it's time to fight for the middle for the truth the time is now to fight for the middle for the truth the time is now we're watching closely watching the hawks. are watching closely watching the hawks.

if. plenty. plenty.

plenty. plenty. plenty. plenty. oh. oh. please. please.

liz. liz. liz claims. clay. looked. pleased. and very well can see you you're watching us inside. and a very warm welcome to you you're watching us inside.

and were. psychologist. a skeptic or

on the honor of those are the same topic magazine talking about going about our ability to believe and where we can get us so talking about what's real what's not believe and where we can get us so talking about what's real what's not what about hope which is in essence i believe expectation what about hope which is in essence i believe expectation that things will play out well right so is hope a worthless illusion that things will play out well right so is hope a worthless illusion as well. hope you don't think is a worthless illusion oh well. hope i don't think is a worthless illusion at all in a way hope is a projection into the future in a way hope is a projection into the future. of of a past that can go in one direction. of of

a past that can go in one direction that is more likely to lead to our survival and flourishing rather than another direction that is more likely to lead to our survival and flourishing rather than another direction that does it so people often describe me as an optimist i wrote this book called the moral arc about that does it so but people often describe me as an optimist i wrote this book called the moral arc about moral progress over the centuries and i think we can document this a great deal moral progress over the centuries and i think we can document this in great detail you know the abolition of slavery the abolition of torture civil right e-tail women's you know these are the ides abilities here of slavery the abolition of torture civil rights women's rights gay rights animal rights and so on it's it's been remarkable how much moral progress we've made by animal rights and so on it's it's been remarkable how much moral progress we've made but i'm not and i'm not going to miss optimism sentence that in that sense that that. was. all i

was inevitable i'm i'm a realist i really think i think we can make it all go. i mean we have to go we're going to help them with that i mean we have to work at that and so that's kind of on a collective level if you mean by hope also personally and that's kind of on a collective level if you mean by hope also personally. i think it does make a difference in terms of how you interact with the world i think it does make a difference in terms of how you interact with the world about whether you're hopeful or not in a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy if you're a pestle about whether you're hopeful or. not in a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy if you're a pessimist you're more likely to see the world in a negative way and then maybe that becomes a missed you're more likely to see the world in a negative way and then maybe that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy there's a famous study done on luck you know it's a self-fulfilling prophecy there's

a famous study done on luck you know some people think they're lucky some people think they're on lucky as it turns out people think they're lucky some people think they're on lucky as it turns out the 1st of all there's no such thing as luck that is lottery numbers are not the 1st of all there is no such thing as luck that is lottery numbers are not more or less likely to come up because you're lucky or unlucky that doesn't exist but more or less likely to come up because you're lucky or unlucky that doesn't exist but if you self identify as a lucky person in a way that's your question if you self identify as a lucky person in a way that's your question you're hopeful that you're going to win the lottery or thing good things will happen to you turns out that people are hopeful that you're going to win the lottery or thing good things will happen to you turns out that people that self identify as being lucky are also score higher and open it will just sell period identified as being lucky are also score higher and openness to

experience and extrovert so in another words they're more airline likely next to tour hawker egyptian people will tell it to other words they're more likely to talk to people trying by new things and go to new. go go go don't go to play out in the soup is play interact with is new in iraq with new environments and that way because they're open to experiences and they're extrovert or mit's and then in that way because they're open to experiences and they're extroverted like to talk to other people more good things are likely to come down their path than like to talk to other people. more good things are likely to come down their paths and more opportunities for them to take advantage of and then in hindsight and more opportunities for them to take advantage of and then in hindsight they look back and go boy was i ever lucky i went to that party i met this person and we got married i mean look back and go boy was i ever lucky i went to that party i met

this person and we got married and i met this person and got this job interview and this changed my life i had this career i had a great family that this person got this job interview and this changed my life i had this career i had a great family whatever. unlikely people tend to be. introverts whatever. unlikely people tend to be. introverted and they score low in openness to experience they don't like travel they don't like new environment and they score low in openness to experience they don't like travel they don't like new environments they don't like to go to parties they don't like to talk to people so they're less likely to have opportunities they don't like to go to parties they don't like to talk to people so they're less likely to have opportunities that come their way and then in hindsight think oh boy i was sure unlucky that i didn't have it easy come their way and then in hindsight i think oh boy i was sure unlucky that i didn't have all these good things happen to me that you had happen to you that's not luck all these good things happen to me that you had happen to you that's not

luck it's in it's in a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy ok why not it's in it's in a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy ok why not 3 things are going on that sense and then ask this platinum engine ation or trains or that sense and then ask this platinum engine ation or a scope for reality when they can drink dreams tree or a scope for reality when they can drink dreams dreams are still dreams are super interesting ok so just bigger picture we all have to sleep every dreams are super. distain ok so just bigger picture we all have to sleep every night 8 hours you've got a good 8 hours super important a good point night 8 hours you've got a good 8 hours super important a good portion of that 8 hours is going to be spent in rem sleep are easy am rapid eye movement sleep portion of that 8 hours is going to be spent in rem sleep are

easy m rapid eye movement sleep this is sometimes called paradoxical sleep because your body is super relaxed and this is sometimes called paradoxical sleep because your body is super relaxed and deeply asleep but your brain all of a sudden becomes kind of active when you wake people up in those states deeply asleep but your brain all of a sudden becomes kind of active when you wake people up in those states they go i was having a dream ok so dreams are a kind of time to go i was having a dream ok so dreams are a kind of kind of a waking state in the sleep in which your your brain is mostly asleep but a part of it is about waking state in the sleep in which your your brain is mostly asleep but a part of it is very active now what is it dreaming about ok. mostly it's just very active now what is it dreaming about. mostly it's just random firing ok this couple kinds of dreams that one kind of dream is sort of rehearsed in the days of

a random firing and so ok this couple kinds of dreams that one kind of dream is just sort of rehearsed in the day's events and we think that has to do with lame down memory tracks so you have short term memory and we think that has to do with lame down memory tracks so you have short term memory and then you have long term memory in those this in between kind of memory and that that and then you have long term memory in those this in between kind of memory and that that the dream that one kind of dream is to kind of rehearse the day's events and lay down memory tracks with the dream that one kind of dream is to kind of rehearse the day's events and lay down memory tracks so that they're more permanent they get shifted into long term memory but a 2nd kind of dream is where there's that they're more permanent they could shift. it into long term memory but a 2nd kind of dream is where there's these kind of random firings between different areas of the brain and you have kind of a g.'s kind of random firings between different areas of the brain and you have kind of a general narrative storyteller it's in the left hemisphere that kind of tries to

straddle narrative storyteller it's in the left hemisphere that kind of tries to string all those impulses together into a narrative story that makes sense and bring all those impulses together into a narrative story that makes sense and so these are the kind of crazy dreams we have like in the film wizard of oz where dorothy has this fantastic dream of going to this this world with with with with her these are the kind of crazy dreams we have like in the film wizard of oz where dorothy has this fantastic dream of going to this this world with with with witches and midgets and. you know golden patches and midgets and. you know golden pads and and then the you know that you know the cowardly lion in the scarecrow and taubes and and then the you know that you know that the cowardly lion in the scarecrow and i turn out to be her uncles and family members and at the end of the movie she's saying oh boy i had to turn out to be her uncles and family members and at the end

of the movie she's saying oh boy i had this incredible dream and toto the dog was there and you were there and you were there and saw that's a cut credible dream and toto the dog was there you were there and you were there and so that's a kind of dream that we have that we can't make sense of like boy that was really weird kind of dream that we have that we can't make sense of like boy that was really weird ok what does it mean nothing it doesn't mean anything those are just ray ok what does it mean nothing it doesn't mean anything. those are just random dreams and then finally there are the kind of dreams we've all had that are related to think of dreams and then finally there are the kind of dreams we've all had that are related to things you're anxious about and so these are often frustrating dreams like you're trying to run away for anxious about and so these are often frustrating dreams like you're trying to run away from a threat and you can't run you're going super slow or you show up at work or school

away from a threat and you can't run you're going super slow or you show up at work or school if you're a student you know naked or you don't have your homework assignment or if you're a student you know naked or you don't have your homework assignment or you're missing this or that it and you can't it's those are kind of reform you're missing this or that it and you can't it's those are kind of reflective things were anxious about or worried about in the real world so like they had things were anxious about or worried about in the real world so what you're thinking about as you fall asleep apparently does make a difference so there's what you're thinking about as you fall asleep apparently does make a difference so there's this new area of trying to control your lucid dreams in which this new area of trying to control your lucid dreams and which you as you fall asleep you think i'm going to dream i'm going to try to dream about you as you

fall asleep you think i'm going to dream i'm going to try to dream about this and maybe write it down or whatever and some people claim that they have success and maybe write it down or whatever and some people claim that they have success in determining what kind of dreams they have i've never tried this i think assess in determining what kind of dreams they have i've never tried this i think it's possible in the sense that what you're thinking about just as you fall off into slits possible in the sense that what you're thinking about just. as you fall off into sleep may influence at least the initial dreams that you have ok that's really interesting and may influence at least the initial dreams that you have ok that's really interesting so in the eighty's there was a psychologist thomas landau or so in the eighty's there was a psychologist thomas landauer and he measured that individual brain can store only one ear and he measured that individual brain can store only one gigabyte of

knowledge and not rest smartphone right now can store tens of time you buy it of knowledge and not rest the smartphone right now can store tens of times more information that means that we have no idea about lots of things around us and as more information that means that we have no idea about lots of things around us and to make you know decisions or form opinions about the things we don't know anything about we have to rely on other people's opinions which are based on other people's opinions to make you know decisions or form opinions about the things we don't know anything about we have to rely on other people's opinions which are based on other people's opinions and so on and so forth so without the ability to get knowledge 1st hands and so on and so forth so without the ability to get knowledge firsthand are we inevitably locked in this sort of trap of wrong judge and are we inevitably

locked in this sort of trap of wrong judgments. ok there's a couple things to unpack there 1st of all the manse. ok there's a couple things to unpack there 1st of all the 1st study you mentioned this is this is almost surely related to this myth the 1st study you mentioned this is this is almost surely related to this myth that we only use 10 percent of our brain we don't know us tauren per cent of. women for sure and so much centered on permission and so on and. most of that much not just through that it's not how much through. your learning here it is true that we are. we use all of our brain when you scan is true that is we are. we use all of our brain when you scan a subject's brain an m.r.i. the whole thing is active and so to subject the brain an m.r.i.

the whole thing is active and so to measure somebody's brain activity you have to give them a specific task to do usually they have a little to measure somebody's brain activity you have to give them a specific task to do usually they have a little keyboard inside the scanner they have to pick between a and b. or this image of that image and that causes the keyboard inside the scanner they have to pick between a and b. or this image of that image and that causes the blood to shift from one area to the other the whole brain is active yet to get it to be even more active so now what portion of the brain so we use all of our brain now but your larger point i think is blood to shift from one area to the other the whole brain is active yet to get it to be even more active so now what portion of the brain so we use all of our brain now but your larger point that i think is true that is we are very limited in both processing is true that is we are very limited in both processing speed and total memory capacity now we don't know what the total capacity is because speed and total memory capacity now we don't know what the total capacity is

because we're still understanding memory and whether it's things that are stored are still in there somewhere and you can still understand the memory and whether the things that are stored are still in there somewhere and you can recall them or if they're gone forever there are some in between states but that aside your to recall them or if they're gone forever there's some in between state but that aside you're more important point is that we do have technologies for storing more information more important point is that. we do have technologies for storing more information and processing it extremely so this is called the extended mind and processing it extremely so this is called the extended mind and your cell phone is one your family members and friends your community your sis and your cell phone is one your family members and friends your community your society the entire media the entire internet is another place to store information to the entire media the

entire internet is another place to store information and process information that you don't have to rely on just your brain so one theory of and process information that you don't have to rely on just your brain so one theory about how humans became as dominant a species around the globe as we had how humans became as dominant a species around the globe as we have is that we're very social and that we have the capacity have is that we're very social and that we have the capacity to exchange information through symbolic language to communicate to exchange information through symbolic language through communication initially just verbal e. but then through writing this is cation initially just verbal e but then through writing this is giving us the edge over all other species that can't do this no matter how smart they are they have

a nice edge over all other species that can do this no matter how smart they are they do not have the capacity to share that information in the kind of detail that we can they do not have the capacity to share that information in the kind of detail that we can at such an extent so the idea that you know this idea of at such an extent so the idea that you know this idea of wisdom that older people are wise that this actually has a good point and in as much as before wisdom that older people are why. this actually has a good point and in as much as before there was writing elders stored information from the kind of commuter was writing elder stored information from the kind of community memory going back multiple generations so as your unity memory going back multiple generations so as you're young and coming up you rely on your grandparents or the great grandparents or the l.d. and coming up you rely on your grandparents or the great grandparents or the elders

in the community to tell you what it was like 50 years ago when the glaciers in the community to tell you what it was like 50 years ago when the glacier was they are now it's not there anymore or whatever you're taught you're worried about that's a kind as they are now it's not there anymore or whatever you're taught you're worried about that's a kind of stored information that you can't have in your brain that other people can have and have stored information that you can't have in your brain that other people can have and we can share that and you know you talk about paradigm shifts earlier if there's any paradigm should we can share that and you know you talk about paradigm shifts earlier if there's any paradigm shift we're going through now it's in communicating knowledge and information if we're going through now it's in communicating knowledge and information at rate in real time at the speed of light in which you know it's at rate in real time at the speed of light in which you know

it soon every single person on the planet all 7 and a half 1000000000 of us will have to know every single person on the planet all 7 and a half 1000000000 of us will have access to all the world's knowledge instantly for free of access to all the world's knowledge instantly for free that is never been the case in human history that is. that is never been the case in human history that is so people call it something big. right now some people call it the singularity something big is right now. we have. we have. a. good for your social life so there's a downside to that. good for your social life so there's

a downside to that but as a tool you know it's a game changer for sure. but as a tool you know it's a game changer for sure. banks

guys are financing. banks geysers financial survival you know they say money the allied friends could take it easy it will survive you know they say money that the allied friends could take it easy this is a central bank support diabolo means i'm going to call them right now so you stop them this is

a central bank support diabolo means i'm going to call them right now so you stop the. cooked initial so i know what was a gets up there are some of these it's just a. lot of what was it gets up there are some of these it's inconsistent. and it's nice to know. what you're looking it's nice to know. somebody has to renew my future notional. simply have to renew my future notional. look with a showing at the sky when i. look at with a showing at the where. do you think it'll show. you have to sleep so do. you think it'll show. you have to sleep so they can

vote up shipping. you up and most of both can vote them up shipping. you up and most of both the book is the work of the books and you will still lose you know the book bid for the books and you will still lose you know i don't know why. that will. help with a little. it was the latest news in the pulse. was the latest news in the pulse. boys and he writes so you have put. boys in the right so you have put. lyricists through some really strong. it doesn't. lyricists through some really strong. it doesn't.

say. i'm. gonna. give easy vowels and this us. while give easy vowels and this us.

war union. rational union. rational. then there. was a south. designer a lot of needy thief. but one of the needy thief. in the zimmer full. of them should.

fold. fortune for the automobile out of that into your. fortune for the automobile lot of. more than a financial. more than a financial. forces

backed by the cia in afghanistan. forces backed by the cia in afghanistan have committed atrocities including summary executions as according to a damning rebel have committed atrocities including summary executions as according to a damning report. by human rights watch there's really no question that conduct like this violates the laws by human rights watch there's really no question that conduct like this violates the law and there's been no accountability for this type of conduct and certainly not for the actual cases we've documented and there's been no accountability for this type of conduct and certainly not for the actual cases we documented in this new report. as california residents suffer from raging wildfires a new report. as california residents suffer from raging wildfires it's alleged that he malfunction at a local power company could have started part of the and it's alleged that he had

malfunction at a local power company could have started part of the inferno. and an israeli soldier who didn't know. and an israeli soldier who disobeyed orders and fatally shot a palestinian teenager is sentenced to a month of commits obeyed orders and fatally shot a palestinian teenager is sentenced to a month of community service we speak to the boy's family. the soldiers community service we speak to the boy's family. the soldiers didn't get to cook.