David Eagleman: A neuroscientist discusses time, perception and consciousness

When American neuroscientist, David Eagleman, was eight years old, he fell off the roof of a house. As he fell, he thought how long it was taking to hit the ground, and how this must be what it was like to be Alice in Wonderland. 

Later, he calculated that he only fell for 0.6 seconds. The time distortion he experienced in that life threatening situation stuck with him, underpinning his adult journey through neuroscience. 

In this episode of Into The Magic Shop, David shares his subsequent research around time distortion - why enjoyable times pass quickly and why we lost track of days and weeks during COVID. 

“So in the case of judging how long something took, it's all about how much memory you've laid down.”

And did you know, only 5% of what we ‘see’ actually comes from our eyes? From why eyewitness testimonies aren’t to be trusted, to what consciousness is, and what happens during a near death experience - don’t miss David explain why our memories construct what we think is reality. 

“The brain is locked in silence and darkness, it doesn't see or hear or smell anything. All it can do is say, okay, look, I've got these spikes coming up these cables, what should I pay attention to?”

This is a fascinating episode you don’t want to miss. 

On today’s podcast:

• How the brain constructs time
• Your eyes don’t actually see the outside world
• The nature of consciousness 
• What is a near death experience

Links:

• www.eagleman.com