Ep68 "What if our brains worked a trillion times faster?"
Jul 22, 2024
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Dive into the fascinating world of speed and perception as discussed in this episode. Explore the disparity between human brains and computers, the illusion of objects created by spinning LED lights, and the hypothetical scenario of brains operating a trillion times faster. Discover how our perception of time and interactions with machines may evolve in the future.
Diverse temporal landscapes challenge decoding alien societies.
Advancements in technology unveil invisible aspects of the world.
Deep dives
The Concept of Time Scale Differences on Alien Planets
Imagine a scenario where astronauts land on a planet with two descriptions: one with an active society and one with tree-like inhabitants. Unbeknownst to them, the tree-like beings operate on a time scale a trillion times slower than humans. This poses a challenge in decoding their society due to vastly different temporal landscapes.
Expanding Our Perception Into Invisible Light Spectrum
Visible light constitutes a tiny fraction of the light spectrum, with infrared, radio waves, and other signals being invisible to the human eye. Advancements in technology have enabled us to create devices to detect and utilize these unseen frequencies, expanding our understanding of the world.
Unveiling Hidden Temporal Landscapes Through Technology
High-speed photography, exemplified by Doc Edgerton's work, freezes rapid events like bullet impacts or splashing liquids, revealing intricate details imperceptible to the human eye. By capturing fleeting moments and transforming them into viewable sequences, these technologies expose hidden temporal realms.
Evolution of Computing Speed and Human Perception Disparities
Computers have rapidly advanced in processing power, from gigaflops to exaflops, vastly outperforming human capabilities. High-frequency stock trading and self-driving cars operate in microsecond time scales, illustrating the disparity between human perception and machine efficiency.
Why are the majority of stock trades decided by algorithms at timescales we can scarcely conceive of? What is it like to have the speed and power of a computer, and to be dealing with slow humans? Why are movies compelling, given that they are just a series of photographs flashed rapidly? And what happens if we someday discover planets with creatures who operate on totally different time scales? Join Eagleman this week for a deep dive into speed: the speed at which we operate, the speed at which our machines operate, and what this all means for the future as the divergence grows larger.
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