Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 140 | Dean Buonomano on Time, Reality, and the Brain
Mar 29, 2021
In this engaging discussion, Dean Buonomano, a UCLA neurobiology professor and author, dives into the enigmatic relationship between time and the brain. He reveals how our brains measure time using unique mechanisms, contrasting them with conventional clocks. The conversation explores fascinating themes like presentism, where only the current moment is deemed real. Buonomano also connects neuroscience with machine learning, highlighting how our understanding of time perception shapes reality. Get ready for a mind-bending journey into how we experience time!
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Brain's Calculator
- The brain uses collective properties to perform arithmetic, mimicking a virtual machine.
- This shaky calculator is less efficient than artificial calculators but excels in complex tasks like face recognition.
Memory Formation
- Memories are formed by changing the strength of neural connections, not the neurons' internal chemistry.
- This synaptic plasticity, like adjusting weights in machine learning, underlies learning.
Spatial vs. Temporal Maps
- Animals possess spatial maps for navigation, crucial for survival in the physical world.
- However, temporal maps for navigating time are less developed, with most animals living in the present.
