Making Sense with Sam Harris #235 — A Call from Ricky Gervais
Feb 10, 2021
Ricky Gervais, the acclaimed comedian behind The Office and After Life, joins for a lively chat about the intrigue of dreams. He and Sam explore if dreaming serves a deeper purpose or is merely brain chaos during sleep. From reflecting on the absurdities of dreams to dissecting the nuances of humor, Gervais shares his take on why puns fall flat. Their discussion delves into the emotional responses elicited by comedy, illustrating how shared experiences shape our laughter and understanding of humor.
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Dream Function
- Dreams' purpose, if any, remains unknown, possibly an epiphenomenon.
- REM sleep, linked to dreaming, is crucial for memory consolidation, but the experiential aspect is puzzling.
Kekulé's Dream
- Ricky Gervais recalls the story of Kekulé's dream about a snake biting its tail, inspiring the benzene ring structure.
- He questions if dreams offer cryptic clues or if such instances are mere coincidences.
Dreams as Bad TV
- Sam Harris compares most dreams to bad TV shows, yet they reveal our minds' adaptability to sudden shifts in experience.
- Dreams place us in unexpected situations without surprise, demonstrating a discontinuity with waking logic.