Making Sense with Sam Harris #178 — The Reality Illusion
6 snips
Dec 11, 2019 
In this engaging discussion, cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman, known for his groundbreaking work on perception and consciousness, shares his revolutionary ideas on how evolution shapes our understanding of reality. He challenges the notion that our perceptions accurately reflect the world, introducing his 'interface theory.' They dive into the implications of consciousness, the nature of free will, and the connection between mathematics and reality. The conversation also probes philosophical themes like panpsychism and the essence of existence itself.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Evolution and Perception
- Evolution may not have selected for perfectly accurate perceptions.
- Veridical perceptions might be too costly in terms of time and energy.
Fitness Trumps Truth
- Simulated foraging games revealed that creatures focused on fitness outcompeted those focused on truth.
- Organisms tuned to fitness payoffs thrive even without perceiving reality directly.
Desktop Analogy
- Hoffman uses the desktop analogy to illustrate the interface theory of perception.
- We interact with icons, not the underlying computer code, just as our perceptions are interfaces, not reality itself.
