Radiolab

The Theater of David Byrne's Mind

Oct 7, 2022

David Byrne, the iconic frontman of Talking Heads, teams up with neuroscientist Thalia Wheatley to explore the complexities of human perception in a fascinating discussion. They delve into Byrne's immersive 'Theater of the Mind,' challenging audiences' reality through art and science. From auditory experiments that manipulate sound perception to the intriguing dynamics of human interaction and synchronized minds, they uncover how our identities shape our experiences. Ultimately, they celebrate the transformative power of collaboration and the joy of embracing change.

43:12

Creator website

Episode guests

Thalia Wheatley

David Byrne

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

Perception Unveiled: The Intersection of Art and Neuroscience

10min

Exploring Auditory Perception

9min

Exploring the Dynamics of Human Perception and Clustering

3min

The Power of Synchronized Minds

18min

Exploring Identity and Liberation in the Mind

3min

It all started when the rockstar David Byrne did a Freaky-Friday-like body-swap with a Barbie Doll. That’s what inspired him — along with his collaborator Mala Gaonkar — to transform a 15,000 square-foot warehouse in Denver, Colorado into a brainy funhouse known as the Theater of the Mind.

This episode, co-Host Latif Nasser moderates a live conversation between Byrne and Neuroscientist Thalia Wheatley at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The trio talk about how we don’t see what we think we see, don’t hear what we think we hear, and don’t know what we think we know, but also how all that… might actually be a good thing.

Special thanks to Charlie Miller and everyone else at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Emily Simoness and everyone else at the Arbutus Foundation, Boen Wang, and Heather Radke.

Episode Credits:

Produced by Suzie Lechtenberg

CITATIONS

Theater of the mind website: https://theateroftheminddenver.com/

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