Think About This: The Doctor Briefly Replies

A follow-up to my "Think About This" video,
in which I asked the Doctor whom I had quoted, a question about consciousness, on a national radio talk show.


Honors for this video (3)
#78 - Most Responded (Today) - Science & Technology
#39 - Most Viewed (Today) - Science & Technology - South Korea
#66 - Top Rated (Today) - Science & Technology
[As of July 28, 2008 @ 4:00 am


fnord

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• consciousness
• brain
• mind
• neuron
• synapse
• neurons
• synapses
• Dr
• Doctor
• Michael
• Gazzaniga

[catalyst8]

"[...]certain values are hard-wired into peoples' brains[...]"

I agree. Language & entoptic imagery (being but two) as a product of the brain's architecture, rather than an incidental bi-product of social interaction, featured strongly in my dissertation some years ago. Culturally overlapping mythological archetypes are another example. The evidence is strong that, much like a spider's web-building ability, we have characteristics that the very structure of our brains necessitates.

[StevenErnest]

Noam Chomsky says this about our innate capacity for language. Mythological archetypes are fascinating, world myths, Joseph Campbell. And Jung's Collective Unconscious, which I like, but it may not be quite that innate.

I'd love to read your dissertation.

[StevenErnest]

Regarding innate products of the brain,

Dr. Gazzaniga studies the neurobiology of moral beliefs: Using brain imagey, there seems to be a "built in mechanism" against lying, cheating, stealing.

He also says the need for religion is a "construct of the brain." He's involved in split-brain research.

[Person009]

What a coincidence.

[StevenErnest]

It was! And even more amazing that I got through on a nationally syndicated radio show.

( I see you've favorited some John Cage vids on your channel = cool guy!)

[PianoIsTheRemedy]

Kaballah Symbol in the background?

[StevenErnest]

Yes, I'm interested in Kabbalah -- as a complex, nuanced, philosophical system -- not religiously. I have an introductory video on it. That symbol is called, The Tree of Life.

[crazycat1984]

This is awesome! :D

[noliketoregister]

Just passing through, thought I'd say hi. Hi. Great topic, and such a cool interaction with an authority figure on it. His sentiments echo my own on the somewhat unknowable aspect of the origin of consciousness. Reminded me of Penrose's (I know enough with the Penrose) idea that if we were to simulate consciousness we would have no idea how it worked.

Cheers,

P.S. What the hell happened to honeybearbaby?

[catalyst8]

I'll be happy to send you a copy of my dissertation ('Theatrical Ritualism in Contemporary Western Society'), it draws from Chomsky's arguments in 'Language and Problems of Knowledge' & Pinker's 'Natural Language and Natural Selection' in the first chapter, & in the third with Dawkins 'Selfish Gene' & Blackmore's 'The Meme Machine', amongst others.

I'll send a private message to you about sending a copy.

[StevenErnest]

Thanks! I was having discussions on consciousness with Matt/ThouArtThat. I think consciousness can arise from "dead matter," he doesn't.

I think self-reflection is something only humans have.

Someone half-joked that maybe we'll discover that Dolphins have this elaborate spoken word poetry, like the Norse Eddas, passed down generation to generation. That's a neat idea, anyway.

[StevenErnest]

Hey, Guybou. Yes, there's consciousness, intelligence... and wisdom. Each seems to be more rare in the world, lol. Your music exhibits all three properties!

I sometimes think of the universe as a vast mind, and each of us are like a brain cell -- some ideas -- like people -- are better than others, heheh.