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A Shot of Philosophical Espresso: “The Mirroring Mind”

by Nancy Atkinson on March 11, 2013

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How does the mind work? What is reality? Self-professed wonder junkie Jason Silva has a new video, which debuted this weekend at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. Hit ‘play’ and get ready for a fast ride!

THE MIRRORING MIND – by @JasonSilva from Jason Silva on Vimeo.

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About

Nancy Atkinson is Universe Today's Senior Editor. She also is the host of the NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast and works with the Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

Tagged as: Jason Silva, Videos

  • bugzzz

    I try not to be a hater, but I felt like he was yelling at me the whole time somehow. Maybe it’s just monday.

    • http://www.facebook.com/fishaxe Edward Dahl

      He was yelling at you (us), but is that reason enough to hate?

      • knighttemplar01

        No, but he was[is] annoying. And did anyone one do a frame by frame analysis to see if he imbedded any subliminal messages?

  • bdlaacmm

    Nice try… but I don’t think so. Still doesn’t come within light years of explaining consciousness.

    Annoying graphics, by the way.

  • Zoutsteen from Holland

    this is poetry art. Nicely done.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.shock Jonathan Shock

    I appreciate the effort, but I’d recommend a full read of I am a strange loop by Douglas Hofstadter which seems to be where he took these ideas from. This is a catchy soundbite (and not supposed to be anything more) and for that it does well.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1834592743 Nick Meckelvaney

      I was about to say that it sounds like he just finished a book or watching a documentary that blew his mind. I know what he was talking about, but I have no idea what I just watched. It was all over the place lol. If it gets a few people to look into it, then it served it’s purpose. I’m not sure how much anyone can learn from this though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1834592743 Nick Meckelvaney

    We’ll be awakened when we can take in knowledge without fast cuts and lots of movement and overlapping audio to make it “seem interesting”. That’s not to take anything away from videos like this, or broadcasts like Radiolab. But it’s unbearable for me, because I am interested in the information and don’t need to feel like i’m watching an MTV show or ad. The effects and weird video editing on, say… Cribs, is because what they’re showing us is boring. It’s disturbing that we need that to get people to willingly learn. We should do whatever it takes to get people interested in science, but this type of presentation is distracting and takes away from the information. Just talk to me, I’m listening. We’ll be in a great place when we don’t have to trick people into being interested in acquiring knowledge.

    • Prism2Spectrum

      Well said.

      I fondly remember a program called “Meeting of Minds” (mid 70s), involving actors dressed up as historical personages, sitting around a table (nothing elaborate), and just casually discussing ideas related to the characters’ lives, their thoughts and work (no music, and little or no graphics), whether it was Galileo, or Genghis Khan. An even older program on World History, featured a distinguished man and woman seated on simple set, discussing events of time. A few plain narrated slide segments, but mostly, you could LISTEN (undistracted), and WATCH THEM discuss World History. How I miss that!

  • Prism2Spectrum

    Observant metaphor, the brain likened to a computer’s “hard-drive”: continuously recording data streams from an array of detectors and sensors. Information flows of a complex organic system (sight, sound, touch,…, / thoughts, feelings, dreams,…,), portions consciously viewed on screen, but most, stored in the subconscious “disk”– the mountain of data below the summit of awareness – unrealized, and unseen.

    How how apt, “Once I was blind, but now I can see.” ….
    ( Not a “biblical proverb”, though, but lyric from “Amazing Grace”, beloved song of many a hymnal.)

    For a more sensible explanation man’s concious mind, and insightful commentary on human awareness, listen to what “David Chalmers [ has to say. He is ] a leading thinker in contemporary philosophy of mind. He is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Consciousness at Australian National University.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK1Yo6VbRoo

    There is more than “animal” brain to our human MINDS.

    ( Note: It was NOT my intention to embed video; don’t know what I did… )

    • Prism2Spectrum

      This user posted above comment: Tried to delete, then repost, to remove video. Only disconnected!

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