Tom Wujec on 3 ways the brain creates meaning

[qigong1001]

Madison Avenue has known all this for over one hundred years.

[alienmode]

those sketches suck.... really poor quality illustration

[PlatonicMadness]

For those who are interested, the AHA moments are described and explained in Bricks to Babel of Arthur Koestler

[derman077]

sense of sound can discern hard and soft. sense of smell can trigger color. I think there is only one sense organ. we have at this time 5 ways to use it. I can't wait for infared eyesight. can you imagine actually being able to see the light on your remote control blinking instead of using your cell phone or digital camera to see it like the tv does. what else in the world lights up but cant be seen with our barely evolved eyes. magnets and batteries glow with a blinding white light of potential

[MyJim1111]

very interesting

[Mazz1983]

one of the most probable areas for human evolution is our cognitive abilities, such talks are the cornerstone of such an ascent for our species!

[lti12]

think of how terrible it would be to be born blind

[nerdyharry]

losing your sight would be worse.

[ninjatoothpaste]

You wouldn't know any different, loosing it would be worse.

[Frozenyak]

how could u miss something u never had? :S

[lllazarrr]

Is there a way to get the sketches from the beginning online ?

[lllazarrr]

If anyone is interested, just google BigViz which will take to you TED blog and you can download it from there, it's great

[haibaraidiomas]

Palestra disponível em português.

Tradutor colaborador do TED.

Belúcio Haibara

[dnebiolo]

Grandiose. Very useful ideas, but he could use time in the sensory tank.

[shaggorama]

his conclusion is circular. This video should be retitled: How the brain creates vision from visual stimuli. He focuses ONLY on how the visual system makes meaning, then goes on to conclude that "we make meaning by seeing." Also, his conclusions/'lessons' have nothing to do with the brain facts he spits out early on.

This is design. No science here. Don't get confused people.

[DefiningConcepts]

In what field is your science doctorate? Just curious. Helps me to understand your perspective on the material, especially the brain visualization part. Have you read The Triune Brain in Evolution by Paul MacLean (U.S. medical doctor and neuroscientist)? (BTW, i think the Wikipedia info on Triune Brain is not completely accurate, especially if you follow all the footnote trails about its non-acceptance by certain researchers.)

[DefiningConcepts]

First part of vid is great in largely confirming Paul McLean Triune Brain model. Visualization begins with light stream flowing to back of brain, where R-complex and evolutionary extensions are located and where basic IDing occurs, then eventually onto the limbic area where feelings are attached, and finally onto the neocortex where we analyze, imagine, and verbalize what we see. I do not claim to be any kind of expert. I am fascinated by McLeans theory and want to learn more about it.

[ArseBottom]

sounds easy for an egoist,,, maybe a long long way away....

[ArseBottom]

what if youre blind you ignorant egoist

[conceitarturo]

you remap all of these abilities to sound and touch

[tdreamgmail]

3 ways brain creates meaning.. looking, looking and looking. What about sounds, and smells and physical touch, even taste.

[DefiningConcepts]

I am not certain, but i think all these other senses are merging in and around the limbic region to give us feelings about what we are visualizing. The vid mentioned feelings being attached in the limbic area.

[Eventualiteit]

he has't really got a clue abbout the brainregions. The dorsal and ventral streams are not areas but streams that activate areas. Much deeper and further in the brain. They are known as the wat and were streams. The implementation of all the "new" things he's heard is rather slim. He uses a big wall, thats all? Please give that man an other job!

[JCMac777]

Neuroscience and/or neurology isn't exactly his field of expertise. He's an "information designer" whatever that is.

[austpom333]

With sound, feel, emotion.

[m4ktub]

and a cane

[Dymdez]

How come blind people can create meaning then?

[dominice112]

It doesn't matter if you are born blind or are blinded later. The imaginative functions, the creative function will still would work. Smell, touch and hearing are just as important.

Agreed, in his story he focuses on created art by the two sketch artists.. but, what if he would focus his story on music and musicians? I doubt his story would change much regarding the tech part.

And, he answers your question quite well in the beginning (1:12).

[Dymdez]

at 1:25 He says the process of creating meaning... and I quote.. "begins with the eyes" lol

The first part of your response is definitely spot-on though, now that I think of it.

[dominice112]

Very true, but don't forget he is working towards the results of his 'experiment'. And that features the eyes (the sketches).

I would be very interesting too see/know what the brain does with the remaining senses if one would be taken away (although this would be very difficult with touch :))

[Dymdez]

Tell that to this guy Jim that lives down the road...

btw if youre being serious thats so sad lol

[dnebiolo]

you have a problem, see a therapist. eventually the karma police.

[jwcornish]

@Dymdez The visual centers of the brain are repurposed, providing the same function, but working with different data

[XaneCrazy]

@Dymdez All human have 5 common senses (some are less lucky.) Eyes are visual (light interaction), as such the ears are sound where you can tell aggressive behavior compared to passive or fear. Sense of touch can tell from soft to hard textures so you create meaning with interaction and self understanding of that object. He only said there 3 ways he talks about, does not mean there are others that do not exist.

[FukPhysics]

@Dymdez how come you are a moron?

[jreis78pt]

@Dymdez vision is just one of our means to perceive the world around and probably the most used, the easiest to use and most efficient one.

[austpom333]

Pictures have always been use to comunicate. people living in tribes drew in sand. Tradesmen draw to comunicate, if the subject is more complicated than can be communicated with sound. Scientists draw plans of there ideas for comunication. Arcitects draw ideas as plans for a building.Magazines use pictures to better comunicate there stories.

[RRGJL]

Why always the 'dear friend' ? Do you really believe it makes me buy something opposed to when you'd say 'dear customer' or w/e ?

[ymindb2]

I guess the visually impaired have "second-hand aha moments".

[creamypouf8]

How the hell did this become an evolution discussion? :S Anyway, as far as this video goes... meh. It's really quite bizarre that they had to do research to find out that visualizations and interaction are pleasing. I mean... duh.

[lejink]

im going to apply for research funds to address the question of if candy is good.

i will need atleast $100,000 for the experiments i have planned... different colours of jujubes.. maybe skittles.

deeply important question, whos willing to donate?

[ArgueExplain]

You're thinking too small.

You should also try to see if gum is actually good for your teeth. Bump up your budget to $10,000,000.

[gotrootdude]

Does it contain recalcident and/or calcium sodium-phosphosilicate? What is the sweetener used? Stevia, Lua han guo, Potassium asulfame, xylitol, etc? Any present enzymes? Lactoperodase, glucose oxidase, etc?

[Mrmoc7]

lawl

[afthefragile]

cool...

[EveryHumanBeing]

The point.... Creating technology that works intuitively with the way our brains function, to enhance our ability to solve really complex problems more efficiently.

I like it.

[OoysteinO]

yeah.. that's the first fase in the modern world which robots and machins are superior

[ArxVirtus]

Don't you mean "phase?"

[OoysteinO]

correct!

[prelan]

probably the only intelligent comment on this video is far

[fornello123]

weak

[esaman]

"we make meaning by seeing." this generalization is beyond stretched.

[Oowafas]

But you don't have to 'believe' because there is evidence to support it. It's like expecting something to fall when you drop it, you expect that because it's based on evidence that you have not any sort of 'belief'.

[ericleonardson]

Interesting, but I wonder the speaker believes the brain's processing begin with the eyes? Couldn't it begin with auditory or other stimuli?

[ali0tis]

i❤icons & symbols

[lvecsey]

this is very similar to the mnemosyne application available for GNU/Linux Ubuntu. They're like little flash cards that you create for yourself with questions and answers, and the system will ask them to you over time and you rate how well you recalled the info.

Stuff that you didn't do well on will come up more often for you. It's similar to what he described because each image represented a packed set of TED Talk information. If you've seen the talks already you can imagine the boost you get.

[jojzoro]

why I need to believe you when you think the brain went through evolutionary

[REZJT]

but jojzoro;

with respect to evolution; facts and ideas based upon evidence do not need "blind belief" > faith-based supernatural ideas need "blind belief"

[jojzoro]

Thank you RESJT that is exactly why I don't believe in evolution

[REZJT]

?... but the idea is that Evolution has been proven, whether you believe in it or not. That is why you do not need blind belief in it.

~ There is no peer-reviewed papers from "Academia" to the contrary that I am aware of, is there? O.o

[jojzoro]

dude do you really need " Academia" to tell you that you are originally not a monkey.why the rest of apes didn't evolve in the evolutionary process?

[REZJT]

Neither Academia nor Evolution says we came from monkeys. They evolved from a common ancestor.

[pakiman47]

you, sir, are an idiot...

[Robbo0090]

wow mate.

Apes have evolved from prehistoric primates into the modern day apes of today. its not as if they havnt changed for millions of years. open your mind and realise that.

[REZJT]

Jojzoro,

just look into the ground for the truth. oldest &deepest known rocks only have fossils of cellular life (single celled then multi-celled), then comes fish, invertebrates, and plants, then comes amphibians, trees, and reptiles, then first egg-laying mammals appear (yes, they layed eggs at first ) and some of the reptiles become the Dinos. Marsupials, and 1-st birds appear, soon after the Dinos go extinct at the KT-boundary. Mammals rule the earth, and humans come out on top.

[FatLingon]

The rest of the primates have evolved into the primates they are today. Chimpanzees, Orangutans, Gorillas, Monkeys and Humans are like "far away cousins" to each other, that is, all of us are in the primate family-tree.

To put it another way. My son and my sisters children will never have the exact same DNA, no matter how many children my sister have, none of them will have the same DNA as my son. As the branches grow longer(grand children), the more difference there will be in the DNA.

[DancingInChains]

The reason you don't believe in evolution is that you have quite obviously a poor understanding of what that theory actually states. Do yourself a favour and read a book.

[jojzoro]

I might be who you think I am ,but at least I talk to people with respect ,addressing my point of view without offending anyone

[HigherPlanes]

2 stars.

[Treknologist]

I recently realized that there seems to be a better way to formulate English sentences in order to convey information and meaning more efficiently.

[gamersgene]

care to share?

[FTLNewsFeed]

People, being blind does not affect what the speaker spoke of. It only removes the beginning process of the eyes detecting something, the neurons in the visual cortex are still activated which in turn activate the two streams he talked about and the limbic system.

[CHAS1422]

Autodesk rules! I melt into autocad when I design...I'ts such a great tool!

[itsonthetab]

What about the blind?

[Blackliam]

sound maps

[abram730]

This is very important.

Concider that the education system is based around how only a small fraction of people think.

This could have an effect as great upon the world as formal education did.

[nilbud]

Yeah, ease back on the bong hits.

[Blackliam]

Visual/animated aides (or any multimedia) are extremely useful in making people realize things quickly and easily. Don't you think that If the education system made use of these techniques school would be a snap for way more people and something might actually get done in class? (contrary to most of my lifetime's school experience which was interminable and highly unstimulating)

[xXGodlessXx]

Agreed.

[abram730]

But that sounds so ugly freeserb.. Why not just call it marketing and public relations.

Oh wait...

[djAmiracle]

I wonder how the blind create meaning. WE need to further develop sound and touch interfaces (that can function just as effectively or more effectively than ones that incorporate visual media). Now, that's a real challenge.

[muffins99]

Or better yet, cure blindness by giving blind people artificial eyes.

[djAmiracle]

well even people with sight could benefit from a well designed interface that works well without giving visual feedback (primarily sound)... for applications where vision is needed elsewhere, like driving.

[REZJT]

yea, I think the presenter may not be aware of the case of the "blind painter" (i heard of him from a documentary on the science channel, lol), or he simply didn't mention that 3-d reality can be accurately modeled by the blind as well. (since even the blind have or are able to perceive a sense of space. (so it is not just limited to a visual probing and understanding)

[DancingInChains]

Well, you don't need eyes to use the parts of the brain that usually deal with visual information. You can still visualize stuff with your eyes closed, there's no reason that blind people wouldn't be able to make mental images.

[YULitle]

That's not necessarily true... or, at least, it doesn't follow the way that you present it. mental images are recreations of things you've seen before. So, if they have never seen, then they have nothing to start with... It's like trying to imagine a new base color

[REZJT]

but what about the case of the blind painter? one still has a sense of space, which allows for some kind of mental recreations and thought abstractions of things of reality.

~~Though he never had been able to see, (he was born without eyes) yet, he could paint in 3-d visual perspective, which is simply an astonishing task accomplished by his personal ability of mental imagery.

[DancingInChains]

I wouldn't be so sure that seeing is necessary for some sort of visual imagination. Even if one is born blind, the brain works the same way. You can imagine a 3D structure you've never seen, and it might be possible for blind people to do the same thing without having ever seen anything even similar.

[ccm800]

his talk is based completely on the sighted,

[hwn000]

Not so. He made specific reference to the dorsal stream, which would allow a blind person to visualize an object without ever seeing it. In fact, I would wager that the dorsal stream of a blind person is significantly more advanced than that of a sighted person.

[Atoyota]

I don't think it's right or wrong, just another tool in a toolkit.

I don't feel the application is global or 'universal' as was suggested, but it does have it's place.

4 stars :p

[dctrex]

Very powerful lecture! I'd like to point out that this resonants with the Buddhist notion of the 5 aggregates which is form, feeling, perception, formation, consciousness. This idea was formulated 2500 years ago, believe it or not.

[rowanrockhopper2]

your comment doesnt deserve thumbs down :/

[Faergen]

This is Wroong. This is based on a completely False theory of perception!

[tacgroup2]

faergen, what is the "correct" theory if this is, as you say, "completely false"? We're all on pins and needles...

[Faergen]

It is kinda hard to explain in only 500 car. singe it is a whole field within Cognitive Psychology. It's called Ecological Psychology or Environmental Psychology, but basically the notion that it is "The brain" contains representations creates an infinite regres: If you see something, because the brain makes a picture or a series of pictures of different details within itself, Wuo is watching them? There are many more problems, and I have just finished a semester, so I'd be happy to answer more.

[himynameississy]

either way you're all lame

[Kunado]

third