Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 221 | Adam Bulley on How Mental Time Travel Makes Us Human
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Jan 2, 2023 Adam Bulley, a postdoctoral fellow specializing in the psychology of foresight, explores the fascinating concept of mental time travel. He argues that our ability to envision the future is what fundamentally distinguishes us as humans. The discussion covers how this cognitive skill fosters social contracts, the interplay of memory and imagination, and its role in evolution. Bulley also delves into the brain's predictive capacities, the significance of the marshmallow test in understanding future-oriented decision-making, and the importance of foresight in technological advancement.
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Chimpanzee Greetings
- Chimpanzees greet each other but don't say goodbye.
- This might be due to their limited capacity for anticipating future reunions.
Human Foresight Definition
- Human foresight involves imagining distant future scenarios and organizing behavior accordingly.
- It's a suite of interacting capacities, not a single brain module.
Squirrel Instincts
- Squirrels hoard nuts instinctively, even without prior winter experience.
- This instinctual behavior is unlike humans' conscious future projections.
