Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
221 | Adam Bulley on How Mental Time Travel Makes Us Human
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.
01:20:42
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Quick takeaways
- The human capacity for foresight is more sophisticated than chimpanzees, as they lack the ability to anticipate future preferences different from their present ones.
- The development of the human capacity for foresight likely evolved over time, with even simpler organisms exhibiting basic forms of future-directed behaviors.
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Chimpanzees and the Limitations of Foresight
Chimpanzees demonstrate some degree of foresight by using tools to solve problems and engaging in future-directed behaviors such as planning, navigating, and hunting. However, they appear to lack the ability to anticipate drive states they currently do not possess. This means they cannot plan or act upon future preferences that are different from their present ones. While chimpanzees can track false beliefs to some extent, their theory of mind capacities are far less developed than humans. These limitations suggest that the human capacity for foresight is more sophisticated and articulated compared to our closest evolutionary relatives.
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