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hello welcome to. welcome to visionaries i'm sophie shevardnadze hoping. visionary i'm sophie shevardnadze hoping fantasizing believing all assumingly natural things for humans believing all. natural things for humans. but can we choose what we believe and why do we believe. what can we choose what we believe and why do we believe in it in the 1st place we'll ask michael shermer psychologist science writer in the 1st place we'll ask michael shermer psychologist science writer and founder of the skeptic magazine. or and founder of the skeptic magazine. michael shermer welcome to the show it's

great to have you with us. michael shermer welcome to the show it's great to have you with us lots to talk about you know many psychologists yourself including say that with lots to talk about you know many psychologists yourself including say that believing in improbable things is innate for humans so our leaving improbable things is innate for humans so our religion is basically and necessary mechanism that sort of religion basically necessary mechanisms that sort of. mother nature has provided us with you know to survive be happy mother nature has provided us with you know to survive be happy in reality which is often dire. yeah i think that's right in a it's a strong word which is often dire yeah i think that's right in a it's a strong word but what i mean by. beliefs being you know naturally born into but

what i mean by. beliefs being you know naturally born inside of this is that our inclination is to try to understand the world can have a to b. side of this is that our inclination is to try to understand the world can have a to be that's called learning association learning whether it's like classical conditioning like pavlov's dogs that's called learning association learning whether it's like classical conditioning like pavlov's dog or or operant conditioning like skinner's rats it's connecting one thing to or or operant conditioning like skinner's rats it's connecting one thing to another in the environment to try and understand causality all organisms do another in the environment to try and understand causality all organisms do it's my little thought experiment is a bad bad engineer on a ha moment it on the plate on the beans a plate africans are 3 value in africa you get 3 years and you go there's a go when you hear rather one so when you're in the great soul in the grass is it

a dangerous predator. or is it it just the dangerous predator or is it just the wind and. now if you assume the soon the wrestler wrestling the grass on the grass is a danger there is a depressing predator and it turns out it's just just the wind you've made a typo or a false positive you thought there was a real connection is no just just the wind you've made a typo or a false positive 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 in action 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 your lunch is that is just the wind it turns out it's a dangerous predator your lunch you've just been munched and taken out of the gene pool so my argument is you've just been munched and taken out of the gene pool so my argument is that we evolved the capacity to assume that all rustles in the grass

are dangers we evolved the capacity to assume that all rustles in the grass are dangerous predators instead of just the wind and therefore we tend to build editors instead of just the wind and therefore we tend to believe things that are not true just in case because some of them are true and 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 or magical thinking the leader for believing weird things by the way this is called superstition or magical thinking believing weird things like that is not a bug in the system it's a feature that comes equipped in the software of our programming to try to keep being weird things like that is not a bug in the system it's a feature that comes equipped in the software of our programming to try to connect things in the environment just in case there's a real connection right still things in the environment just in case there's

a real connection. all right so. you're saying believes are almost restrained by common sense just like you're saying believes are almost restrained by common sense just like your writing bit helps to harness an emotional horse but this horse riding bait helps to harness an emotional horse but this horse well you know it still go wherever if it once are you saying that will still go wherever if it once are you saying that our emotional self will. learn that we're always the one to go over that you rationalise well we are booked both right. we are emotional both. and emotional very reason. is a is a tool we use to try to understand how the world world

works. i'm a motions are also kind of a tool it's a way of reasoning very quickly so those are also kind of a tool it's a way of reasoning very quickly so evolution designed our emotions to drive us to do things so you don't have to 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 calculate how many calories your body needs it in a given day you just feel hungry so that emotion of hunger drives you to eat something and then when you're hungry so that emotion of hunger drives you to eat something and then when you're satisfied you've had enough you no longer have that feeling or the desire to be attracted to somebody satisfied you've had enough you no longer have that feeling or the desire to be attracted to somebody else this is an evolved trait that helps the species perpetrated you have said else this is an

evolved trait that helps the species perpetrated you have sex and children and so on but no one calculates exactly why their attraction children and so on but no one calculates exactly why they're attracted to somebody else you know the waist to hip ratio or the cement summitry of their faces or the acted to somebody else you know the waist to hip ratio or the cement summitry of their faces or the complection of their skin no one does those calculations you just feel attracted to somebody so in the complection of their skin no one does those calculations you just feel attracted to somebody so in that sense things emotions like anger and jealousy and that sense things emotions like anger and jealousy and you know those sorts of things that they're a way of reasoning about the world very quickly this call rapid you know those sorts of things that they're a way of reasoning about the world very quickly this call rapid cognition you just have a into a sense about something and we're pretty good about this with plug mission you just

have a into in a sense about something in. 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 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 you or the situation you're in those are usually pretty accurate feelings that we have but. those are usually pretty accurate feelings that we have but it's not it's not psychic power it's it's a way of reasoning very rapidly about the environment it's not it's not psychic power it's it's a way of reasoning very rapidly about the environment you're picking things up from the from the environment you don't know what they are i don't know what there is but it's just you're picking things up from the from the environment you don't know what they are i don't know what there is but it's just a feeling you get and that's actually a good trait that we have well ok the lack of feeling you get and that's actually

a good trait that we have well ok let me take this a little step further let's talk about what's really me take this a little step further let's talk about what's real or not at the end of the day what we do decipher is real or not at the end of the day what we do decipher is real right because many were now and physicists have talked to for instance because many renowned physicist. for instance he says she is suggesting that everything that we think is real and he says she is suggesting that everything that we think is real and might just be. what do you think yeah i might just be. what do you think. yeah i i don't think that's correct at the level that which which we live that is the matter i don't think that's correct

at the level that which which we live that is the macro physical world but michio is talking about there our brian cox acro physical world with michio is talking about there are brian cox 3 of the physicists that study quantum physics for example they're talking about the subatomic turning the physicists that study quantum physics for example they're talking about the subatomic particle and this is a very different world it is the size of atoms if you article and this is a very different world it is the size of atoms if you had like a tennis ball here is the nucleus of the atom and the electrons going around it head like a tennis ball here is the nucleus of the atom and the electrons going around it sort of the energy shield or a field of the electrons going around these sort of the energy shield or a field of the electrons going around it these would be like blocks away from the little tennis ball here it's mostly empty space would be like blocks away from the

little tennis ball here it's mostly empty space the atom is mostly empty space so that's why people new age group the atom is mostly empty space so that's why people new age groups talk about you know this chair is completely empty or or this is really empty space to talk about you know this chair is completely empty or or this is really empty space yeah but not at the macro level at the macro level the atoms are so tightly bound 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 space it's a solid thing that's why you know 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 and have a little accident here so at the macro level it's not an illusion what we see and feel. is a fairly and fall through it and and have a little accident here so at the macro level it's not an illusion what we see and

feel is it is a fairly accurate portrait of reality now there are some people that argue that accurate portrait of reality now there are some people that argue that say this problem of what's it like to be a bat like i can't know what it's like to be a bit say this problem of what's it like to be a bat 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 because i don't have sonar this echolocation system and the big ears to pick up the sound bouncing up objects in the brain apparatus to process the. sound bouncing up objects in the brain 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 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

a thing in the environment looking at 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 have very different images of like to a bat it probably doesn't look like that to me we probably have very different images of what the world looks like but there still really is say a wall here and if the bat is for what the world looks like but there still really is say a wall 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 wind toward it it's going to move around the wall and i see the wall or i feel the wall the bat here's the wall the sensory apparatus is different the neural structure of all the bad here's the wall the sensory apparatus is different the neural structure of processing the sensory information is different between me and the bat but there really are walls the real processing the sensory information is different between me and the bat but there really are. wallace there really are things that we have to navigate around in the world so

that part is not an illusion that's a car things that we have to navigate around in the world so that part is not an illusion that's reality so i argue that we evolve senses that give us a parent's reality so i argue that we evolve senses that give us a fairly accurate portrait of what the world is really like and in the belly 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 just to we have for understanding that world is science because subjectively you and i may be wrong or or or distorted or in our or suffering from the wrong or or or distorted or in our or suffering from illusions but collectively we can get an accurate picture of the world so well but collectively we can get an accurate picture of the world ok so well what about creativity how dast creativity of fact

our ability to believe what about creativity how desk creativity a fact our ability to believe in things does that mean that the richer mention ation we have the more limited things does that mean that the richer mention ation we have the more likely we are to believe weird stuff or not necessarily i think there's a really clear were to believe weird stuff or not necessarily. i think there's a relationship between this and the believing brain i. toyed with the idea that this chip between this and the believing brain i i toyed with the idea that this relationship between say madness and creativity or that that people are those who are very relationship between say madness and creativity or that that people are they who are very open to new ideas they can they make connections across disciplines open to new ideas they can they make connections across disciplines or new fields that you and i maybe wouldn't make but that there are so new fields that

you and i maybe wouldn't make but that they're so open to new ideas they also believe a lot of wacky ideas so for example open to 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 i know a lot of really smart people nobel prize winners and so on they believe the weirdest things like what and in part i sometimes wonder. oh like what and part i sometimes wonder if it's be 0 like $911.00 was a conspiracy or that astrology works or that e.s.p. is real $911.00 was a conspiracy or that astrology works or that e.s.p. is real these kinds of things that most scientists and skeptics are skeptical they think there might be something to that these kinds of things that most scientists and skeptics are skeptical they think there might be something to this i talked in the believe in brain about kary mullis who won the nobel prize for his talk in the

believe in brain about kary mullis who won the nobel prize for his work in genetics the p.c.r. technique of taking a little work in genetics the p.c.r. technique of taking a little snippet of d.n.a. and then reproducing that it's a very common technique that carry most super interest but of d.n.a. and then reproducing that it's a very common technique that. kary mullis super interesting super smart creative guy he drum he dreamt up this this solution to the 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 and smoke 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 nature you know. like you want to be in 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 einstein has this dream of flaw and i are not going

to have that kind of experience all right or einstein has this dream of flying on a beam of light yeah whoa ok i don't have dreams like that name on a beam of light yeah whoa ok i don't have dreams like that but but that kind of openness and creativity might lead you to think you can't but but that kind of openness and creativity might lead you to think well all these other things are real not all of them are real sometimes they create while all these other things are real not all of them are real sometimes the creative ideas you come up with are just they're just great crazy they're they're crackerjack they're not out of ideas you come up with are just they're just great crazy they're they're crackerjack they're not real and so the rub here is to have a mind open enough the real and so the rub here is to have a mind open enough to accept radical new creative ideas that no one else has

thought of that turn out to be right 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 every wacky idea that comes down the pike. but not so open minded that you believe everywhere the idea that comes down the pike and so you know when people say well you know they laughed at their laughter go away oh they laughed at so you know when people say well you know they laughed at the laughter go away oh they laughed at the wright brothers you know it's like well they laughed at the marx brothers being laughed at doesn't mean you're right the wright brothers you know it's like well they laughed at the marx brothers being laughed at does that mean you're right so for every galileo. there's 10000 other scientists who had so for every galileo. there's 10000 other scientists who had creative new ideas and they were wrong and i encounter these people all the time they send me creative new ideas and they were wrong and i encounter 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 and comprehend 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 a new idea means you're right and you shouldn't civil 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 in science even by professional side with the nobel prize most new ideas even in science even by professional scientists are not right. so just one final point is are not right so so just one final point. just because you brought up science is just really interesting i want to go ahead just because you brought up science is just really interesting i want to ask you because i hurt the idea that pseudo scientific research she asked because i hurt the idea that pseudo scientific research usually precede scientific revolution and they will try to fill some gaps in the existing picture really precede scientific

revolution and they will try to fill some gaps in the existing picture of the world and the city and set a scientific researcher. the world and the city said a scientific research leads to the so-called paradigm shift just saying that we are actually under it leads to the so-called paradigm shift is saying that we are actually on the verge of another scientific revolution if we look at that way well it depends on the field verge of another scientific revolution if we look at that way well it depends on the field i mean most fields in the sciences are fairly well set and old 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've mentioned a word paradigm so a paradigm is this sort of does it mean the right but so here's how it works so you've mentioned we're paradigms so paradigm is this sort of collective body of knowledge that most of the people working in that field agree this is part of body

of knowledge that most of the people working in that field agree this is pretty true these are pretty solid well supported ideas then around the paradigm you heard the 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 with the anomalies well you assign 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. or you know somebody has to 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 if it's true that there's enough of these are trying 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 explain not only the 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 then you might have

a paradigm shift but all the the core ideas to then you might have a paradigm shift you might have a brand new scientific theory that overthrows the past idea down to you. i have a brand new scientific theory that overthrows the past idea but the problem is that most people who think they have a paradigm shifting new i but the problem is that most people who think 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 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 they get thrown out. and 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 even try to test their early early on they run experiments they don't pass the tests or they don't even try to test their ideas they just bounce them off colleagues or friends and

and they go nowhere 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 paradigm shifting ideas like 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 relativity that explains some of the take 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 wrong if you want to get a space means 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 mechanics is pretty much all you need a craft to the moon just newtonian mechanics is pretty much all you need or even a mars down to some fine tuning with some general relativity adjustments made but in a mars down to some fine tuning with some general relativity adjustments made but not much so it's not that newton was wrong and einstein was right is that einstein

added that 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 in science it's not to the new. and that's usually how it works in science it's not that this this idea we've held on for centuries is completely wrong and we need a whole new. idea we've held on for centuries is completely wrong and we need a whole new idea you hear this a lot by new agers who think they have a new idea but usually you hear this a lot by new agers who think they have a new idea but usually they don't so there's a reason science is so conservative incautious because we know it so there's a reason science is so conservative in cautious because we know that most new ideas people have are incorrect all right michael that i hope that most new ideas people have are incorrect all right michael that hold your thought we're going to take a break right now we're. going to take

a short break right now we'll be back. with us. stay with us.

oh. oh. oh. oh.

plz. plz. plz. plz. plz. plz. plz plz. plz.

plz. please. please. please. please.

and very well may continue your. a very warm welcome to you.

and we're back with michael shermer a psychologist science writer. and we're back with michael shermer a psychologist science writer on the founder of the skeptic magazine talking about our ability to believe and where we can get on the founder of the skeptic magazine talking about our ability to believe and where we can get us so talking about what's real what's not what about hope which is in us so talking about what's real what's not what about hope which is in essence i believe expectation that things will play out in essence and believe expectation that things will play out well right so is hope a worthless illusion as well. hope you don't think is a worthless illusion you know you know way hope is a well right so is hope a worthless illusion as well. hope i don't think is

a worthless illusion at all in a way hope is a projection into the future of. a projection into the future of a past that can go in one direction that is more likely to lead to a past that can go in one direction that is more likely to lead to our survival and flourishing rather than another direction that doesn't so our survival and flourishing rather than another direction that doesn't so people often describe me as an optimist i wrote this book called the moral arc about moral progress over the centuries 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 in great detail you know the abolition of slavery there and i think we can document this in great detail you know the abolition of slavery the abolition of torture civil rights women's rights gay rights animal rights and so 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 but i'm not an optimist in the sun it's it's been remarkable how much moral progress we've made but i'm not an optimist in the sense that that that was inevitable i'm a realist i think because that that. was inevitable i'm a realist i think it could all go south i mean we have to work at that and that's kind of on it all goes to house i mean we have to work at that and that's kind of on a collective level if you mean by hope also personally. i think it does make 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 about whether you're hopeful or not 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 pessimist. you're moral 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 self-fulfilling prophecy 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 some people think they're lucky some people 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 the 1st of all there's no such thing as i 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 more or less likely to come up because your 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 if you self identify as a lucky or unlucky that doesn't exist but if you self identify as a lucky person in a way that your question you're hopeful that you're going to win the lottery or

a lucky person in a way that 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 that self identify as being lucky are your thing good things will happen to you turns out that people that self identify as being lucky are also score higher and openness to experience an extra also score higher and openness to experience and extroversion so in other words they're more likely to talk to people trying new things go to a new version so in other words they're more likely to talk to people trying new things go to new go to new places interact with new environments and then go to new places interact with new environments and then in that way because they're open to experiences and they're extroverted like to talk to other people 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 and more.

opportunities more good things are likely to come down their paths and more opportunities for them to take advantage of and then in hindsight they look back and go boy was i ever loved 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 or i met this person and got this job interview 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 whatever. and this changed my life i had this career i had a great family whatever. unlikely people tend to be. introverted and they score low and openness and likely people tend to be. introverted 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 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 that come their way and then

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 all these good things happen to me that 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 it's in it's in a way it's a self 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 3 things aren't going on that sound silly prophecy ok why not 3 things are dreams or that sense an office flat a mention ation or a scope for a reality a senate office flat a mention ation or a scope for reality when you make them drink dreams dreams are so dreams are super interesting ok so just bigger picture we all have to sleep every night 8 hours you've got to get it out when they can drink dreams dreams or stay. dreams are

super interesting 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 portion of that 8 hours is going to be spars super important a good portion of that 8 hours is going to be spent in rem sleep are easy m rapid eye movement sleep this is sometimes called paradoxically and rem sleep are easy m rapid eye movement sleep this is sometimes called paradoxical sleep because your body is super relaxed and deeply asleep but your brain all the so 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 they go i was having a dream ok so i 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 kind of a waking state in the sleep 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 very active now what it in which your your brain is mostly asleep

but a part of it is very active now what is it dreaming about. mostly it's just random firing ok this couple does it dreaming about. mostly it's just random firing 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 lives 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 then you have long term memory in those this inflamed down memory track so you have short term memory 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 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 so that they're more permanent they could shift it is a kind of rehearsed 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 these kind of. fairings between different

areas of the brain and you have kind of a general narrative storyteller 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 general narrative storyteller it's in the left hemisphere that kind of tries to string all those impulses together it's in the left hemisphere that kind of tries to string all those impulses together into a narrative story that makes sense and so these are the kind of crazy dreams we had or 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 god like in the film wizard of oz where dorothy has this fantastic dream of going to this this world with with with witches and going to this this world with with with witches and midgets and and you know golden paths and and

then the you know the midgets and and you know golden paths and and then the you know the you know the cowardly lion in the scarecrow and i turn out to be her uncles and they you know 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 a boy had this incredible dream and toto the dog and family members and at the end of the movie she say a boy i had this incredible dream and toto the dog was there and you were there and you were there and so that's the kind of dream that we have that we can was there and you were there and you were there and so that's the kind of dream that we have that we can make sense of like boy i was really where ok what does it mean nothing can make sense of like boy i was really where ok what does it mean nothing it doesn't mean anything those are just random dreams and then finally there are 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 things you're anxious about and

that's an hour 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 from a threat and you can't run 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 if you're a student you know naked or 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 you're missing this or that it or you don't have your homework assignment or you're missing this or that it and you can it's those are kind of reflective things were anxious about it and you can it's those are kind of reflective things were anxious about or worried about in the real world so what you're thinking 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 this new area as you fall asleep apparently does make

a difference so there's this new area of trying to control your lucid dreams in which you as you fall asleep 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 this and maybe write it down or whatever leap 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 in determining what kind of and some people claim that they have success in determining what kind of dreams they have i've never tried this i think it's possible in the streams 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 sleep that may influence at least the emissions that what you're thinking about. as you fall off into sleep may influence at least the initial dreams that you have ok that's really interesting so in jewel dreams that you have

ok that's really interesting so in the eighty's there was a psychologist thomas landauer and he measured that and in the eighty's there was a psychologist thomas landauer and he measured that an individual brain can store only one gigabyte of knowledge and not individual brain can store only one gigabyte of knowledge and not rest the smartphone right now can store tens of times more information that means smartphone right now can store tens of times more information that means that we have no idea about lots of things around us and to make you know decisions or 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 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 and 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 firsthand are we inevitably so without the ability to get knowledge firsthand are we inevitably locked in this sort of trap of wrong judgments. locked in this sort of trap of wrong judgments. ok there's a couple things to unpack there 1st of all the 1st study you mentioned 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 that we only use 10 percent of our brain and this is this is almost surely related to this myth that we only use 10 percent of our brain yes or brain can only store so much information and so on. now yes or brain can only store so much information and so on. now most of that's not true how much talent is learned here it is true that we are all it's most of that's not true

how much talent is learned here it is true that we are. we use all of our brain when you scan a subject's brain an m.r.i. 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 measure somebody's brain activity 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 keyboard inside the scanner they have to 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 blood to shift from one area to the other they'll 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 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 in 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 speed and total memory capacity limited in both processing speed and total memory capacity now we don't know what the total capacity is because we're still understanding memory and well 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 recall them or if they're gone forever there are things that are stored are still in there somewhere and you can recall them or if they're gone forever there's some in between states but that aside you're more important point is that we do have technologies for storing more information and processing it externally or there is some in between states but that aside you're more important point is that. we do have technologies for storing more information and processing it ex sternly so this is called the the extended mind and your cell phone is one

way so this is called the the extended mind and your cell phone is one your family members and friends your community your society the entire media in your family members and friends your community your society the entire media the entire internet is another place to store information and process information tyree internet is another place to store information and process information that you don't have to rely on just your brain so one theory about how humans became 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 have is that we're very as dominant a species around the globe as we have is that we're very social and that we have the capacity to exchange in fairy social and that we have the capacity to exchange information through symbolic language through communication initially just

or mation through symbolic language through communication initially just verbal e. but then through writing this is given us an edge over all other species verbal e but then through writing this is giving us an edge over all other species that can't do this no matter how smart they are they do not have the capacity to shit they can't 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 at such an extent share that information in the kind of detail that we can at such an extent so the idea that you know this idea of wisdom that older people are wise so the idea that you know this idea of wisdom that older people or why this actually has a good point it in as much as before there was writing elders. this actually has a good point and in as much as before there was writing elders stored information from the kind of community memory going or stored information from that kind of

community memory going back multiple generations so as you're young 6 and coming up you rely on back multiple generations so as you're young and coming up you rely on your grandparents or the great grandparents or the elders in the community to tell your grandparents or the great grandparents or the elders 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 what 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 of stored information that you have or you're 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 we can share that and can't have in your brain that other people can have and we can share that and you know you talked about paradigm shifts earlier if there's any paradigm shift we're going through now it's been 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 at really in real time communicating knowledge and information at rate in real time at the speed of light in which you know it soon every single person i am 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 access to all the wording on the planet all 7 and a half 1000000000 of us will have access to all the world's knowledge instantly for free that is world's knowledge instantly for free. that is never been the case in human history that is. never been the case in human history that is something people call it something big is right now.

we have something big. right now. we have. good for your social life so there's a downside to that but as a tool. for your social life so there's a downside to that but as a tool you know it's a game changer for sure. you know it's a game changer for sure.

if these banks like j.p. morgan are deutsche bank. if these banks like a j.p. morgan or deutsche bank are unable to settle trades because they don't have the cash to settle the trade and are unable to settle trades because they don't have the cash to settle the trade then when the end of the quarter comes they're going to have to by law if they if they're then when the end of the quarter comes they're going to have to by law if they if there is the rule of law anymore and that's an open question announce that they are insolvent and there is the rule of law anymore and that's an open question announce that they are insolvent and therefore they're going to set off a cascade and a contagion. will be

a concern therefore they're going to set off a cascade and a contagion. will be a continuation of the 2008 crisis but much much worse. anyway show 2008 crisis but much much worse. is backed by the cia in afghanistan have committed atrocities. backed by the cia in afghanistan have committed atrocities including summary executions according to a damning report by human rights watch including summary executions according to a damning report by. human rights watch. there's really no question that conduct like this violates the law and. there's really no question that conduct like this violates the law. for this type of conduct and certainly not for the actual cases

we documented in this new report ability for this type of conduct and certainly not for the actual cases we've documented in this new report. raging through parts of the study. raging through parts of the study. soldiers who fatally shot a palestinian teenager was sentenced to just one. soldier who fatally shot a palestinian teenager was sentenced in just one month of community service we hear from the boy's family. we hear from the boy's family. didn't punish his colleagues.