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Freeman: Inside your head
is an unexplored world.
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It holds all that you know,
everything you feel,
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and thoughts
you aren't even aware of.
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Now science is searching
the hidden reaches of our minds,
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decoding its inner language
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to discover
our true mental power
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and to understand the mysteries
of the subconscious.
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Space, time, life itself.
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The secrets of the cosmos
lie through the wormhole.
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♪ Through the Wormhole 03x08 ♪
Mysteries of the Subconscious
Original Air Date on July 25, 2012
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== sync, corrected by elderman ==
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The subconscious --
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it's the source of our
primal fears and desires,
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the wellspring of our dreams,
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the place where
our alter egos lurk.
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But as modern neuroscience
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explores the frontiers
of our minds,
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we're discovering
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the subconscious controls
our every waking moment.
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If we can truly understand
our unthinking minds,
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we could all become
smarter, healthier,
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and more creative
than we ever dreamed possible.
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I was eight years old when I got
on stage for the first time.
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I had to re-enact
"Little Boy Blue."
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Even though
the poem was only 12 lines long,
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I was certain
I was going to mess it up.
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But the moment I began to speak,
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some hidden part of me
seemed to take over.
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The lines flowed out of me
without a hitch.
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And I felt like
I wasn't even there.
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[ Applause ]
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How is it we are able
to do something so complex
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without even thinking?
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Marcus Raichle
is a neuroscientist
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at Washington University
School of Medicine
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in St. Louis, Missouri.
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He is constantly amazed
at what our brains can do.
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Raichle: We have memories
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that have to do with
how I move my hands and legs
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and all this kind of thing,
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for which we have
no conscious sense
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of how this is all implemented.
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We kind of forget how
complicated these things are.
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Freeman: As an amateur musician,
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Marcus likes to compare
our brain's separate functions,
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like vision, hearing, memory,
and muscle control,
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to the individual players
in a musical ensemble.
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And for him,
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the miracle of the brain is how
it gets these complex systems
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to perform in perfect harmony...
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[ Orchestra playing ]
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...rather than like this...
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[ Instruments playing off-key ]
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After years spent
imaging brains,
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Marcus eventually discovered
an entire mental network
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that coordinates our movements
with our senses,
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and it turns on
the moment you stop thinking.
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Raichle: Nobody was even
looking for this.
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It was almost by accident.
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It came to our attention
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that if you just
were laying in a scanner
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and we were looking
at your brain
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and then we asked you
to do something,
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not only did things go up,
but certain things went down.
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Freeman: Certain parts
of the brain seem to turn off
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whenever we begin a task.
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Those same regions
become highly active
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whenever we are quiet
and relaxed.
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Marcus calls these
linked sections of the brain
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the Default Mode Network,
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because the brain defaults
to this activity
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whenever we are not
doing anything else.
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In fact, the brain is just
as active in this default mode
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as when we're
consciously doing something.
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After careful analysis, Marcus
thinks he understands why.
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Raichle: The default mode
is deeply important
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in creating an ability
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to predict
what's gonna happen next.
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I think it's really critical.
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Freeman: In the same way that
an ensemble's musical director
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organizes the group's music,
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the Default Mode Network
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organizes
all the functions of the brain
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so that mind and body
are always on the same page.
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But is our subconscious
always the servant
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of our conscious mind?
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Or can it also take charge?
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Henrik Ehrsson, a neuroscientist
in Stockholm, Sweden,
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is obsessed with his body.
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In fact,
he thinks about bodies nonstop
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because he wants to know
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exactly how our minds
control our bodies.
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Ehrsson: Well, here I stand,
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like a sculpture
of skin and bone and joints.
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But I feel alive.
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I feel my conscious experience
in my entire body.
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My body feels like part of me.
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And what I'm interested in is to
understand how can that can be.
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How can we have
this experience
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of our own body
as part of ourselves,
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distinct from
the rest of the world?
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Freeman:
Welcome to the Dollhouse.
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These limbs, cameras, and knives
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are actually part
of a scientific experiment
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designed by Henrik
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to play with
our subconscious mind's sense
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of who and where we are.
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Well, we knew that there's
lots of processes in the brain
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that we are not aware of that
happens at a subconscious level.
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What we try to understand
is what makes those signals
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become part of
our conscious experience.
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Freeman: A blindfolded subject
is led into a room
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with two beds,
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one for himself
and the other for a small doll.
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Ehrsson: It's important that you try not
to move during the experiment.
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Okay?
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We use head-mounted displays
that we connect to cameras.
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So, there's two screens in front
of the participant eyes.
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And each screen is connected
to one video camera,
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which we can mount on the head
of a mannequin or a doll.
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So when you look down, you don't
see your own body anymore.
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You see the doll
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from the natural,
first-person perspective.
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Freeman: The subject feels
the stroking on his leg
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but sees the stroking
on the doll's leg,
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so his brain is fooled
into thinking
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that the doll's legs
are actually his own.
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Ehrsson: And what happens then
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is the brain just fuses
what you see and what you feel,
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and boom, you feel like
the doll or the mannequin.
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We think the brain creates
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like an internal model
of your own body,
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and we think the brain does that
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by integrating all available
information from all the senses
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and be part
of making that decision
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that "this is me"
or "this is not me."
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Freeman: Having tricked
the brain into a false reality,
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Henrik can now
tweak that reality
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and reveal how powerful
the subconscious actually is.
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The researcher threatens
the doll with the knife.
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The subject flinches
with horror.
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His brain can't help
but expect excruciating pain.
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Even after the subject realizes
it was a trick,
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he continues
to have the same reaction
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when the illusion is repeated.
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His conscious experience
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cannot override
his subconscious reaction.
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Ehrsson:
You can't think it away.
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You know it's just,
you know, an experiment.
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But you can't help
that bodily feeling of "ugh"
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because you feel
that this doll is you,
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so your brain just reacts
in a very sort of basic way,
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and that signal, this reaction,
is what we're measuring
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to really prove
that the illusion is real.
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Freeman: One of Henrik's goals
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in performing
these unnerving visual illusions
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is to locate the precise part
of the subconscious brain
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that keeps track
of where your body is.
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Brain scans he's performed
during a body swap
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point to increased activity
in the ventral premotor cortex,
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the sensory neurons involved in
the visual guidance of movement.
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Well, the ventral premotor
cortex
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is one of those key nodes
in the brain
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that integrate what you feel
and what you see
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for controlling the body,
for defending the body.
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[ Bell dings,
cheers and applause ]
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Because if you're in a fight,
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you need to know, you know,
where is your body
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and where is your opponent,
and you need to be able to act.
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So those circuits of the brain
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are built to defend the body
from threat,
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for interacting with objects
in the world,
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and always keep track
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of the boundary
between you and the world.
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Ohh!
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Freeman: Knowing the difference
between what is us and not us
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is so vital
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that our subconscious reactions
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will overrule
our conscious thoughts.
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And sometimes that can mean
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the difference
between life and death.
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Have you ever had a hunch,
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a feeling
that something was wrong?
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Most of us have.
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But where does that feeling
come from?
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It could be a message
from your subconscious mind,
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telling you it knows something
that you don't.
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[ Horn honks ]
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Joshua Brown is always on the go
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and always anticipating
the unexpected.
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Brown: When I go out cycling,
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there are dangers
potentially everywhere.
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Is that pedestrian gonna jump
in front of me?
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Is that car door gonna open
in front of me?
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Is that car gonna cut me off?
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And I'm constantly evaluating,
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"is there some danger
that I need to look out for,
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that I need to be careful
to avoid?"
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Freeman: But Joshua's research
at Indiana University
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in Bloomington
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has shown him
that this conscious evaluation
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is only the first layer
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of our brain's
danger-sensing mechanism.
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What really keeps us out of
harm's way is our subconscious.
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Joshua has found a way
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of studying how our subconscious
mind triggers a gut feeling
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when something
is about to go wrong.
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And it's a lot safer
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than riding your bike
through rush-hour traffic.
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Basically, on each trial,
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there's gonna be
an arrow that appears
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in the middle of the screen,
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and the arrow points
left or right.
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And it's really simple.
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Press the left button
if the arrow points left
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and press the right button
if the arrow points right.
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00:12:15,231 --> 00:12:16,999
Freeman: But there is a catch.
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Sometimes, within a half second,
an opposing arrow appears.
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And he must press
that arrow's direction instead.
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Each trial only lasts
one second,
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so if he decides too quickly,
he might miss the second arrow.
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Too slowly
and he could run out of time.
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[ Buzzer sounds ]
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Brown:
And so the longer we wait,
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the more likely it is
it's too late
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and they've already
pressed the wrong button.
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[ Computer beeps,
buzzer sounds ]
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Freeman: Joshua has programmed
a pattern into the test,
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but it's too subtle for the
subject to pick up consciously.
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Instead, he must rely
on his gut feelings.
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Brown: What we really want to do is to
isolate mechanisms in the brain
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that might be able to signal
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when you think you're
more likely to make a mistake.
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Freeman: Joshua now conducts
the same experiment
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while the subject
is an MRI machine.
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He sees that one brain area in
particular buzzes with activity
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when the subject feels like he
might be about to make an error.
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It's the
anterior cingulate cortex.
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Brown: And so,
here you can see, in red,
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the anterior cingulate cortex
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is showing a strong effect
of error likelihood.
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That is, even when subjects
don't actually make a mistake,
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they're still showing effects
in this region
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that seem to anticipate
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00:13:46,824 --> 00:13:49,992
the greater likelihood
of making a mistake.
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00:13:49,994 --> 00:13:55,164
Freeman: Joshua believes this activity
in the anterior cingulate cortex
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00:13:55,166 --> 00:13:57,800
is the source
of our gut feelings.
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00:13:57,802 --> 00:14:02,137
But it's not just protecting us
as we bike down busy streets.
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00:14:02,139 --> 00:14:04,373
Sometimes it can be responsible
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00:14:04,375 --> 00:14:06,675
for the fate
of hundreds of lives.
251
00:14:06,677 --> 00:14:09,545
[ Explosions ]
252
00:14:09,547 --> 00:14:14,450
In 1991, in the opening days
of the Persian Gulf War,
253
00:14:14,452 --> 00:14:17,219
a fleet of British battleships
254
00:14:17,221 --> 00:14:20,255
is stationed 20 miles
off the shores of Kuwait.
255
00:14:20,257 --> 00:14:24,259
A lone naval officer
is Manning the radar station
256
00:14:24,261 --> 00:14:28,230
of one of the ships
looking for incoming threats.
257
00:14:28,232 --> 00:14:29,665
All is quiet
258
00:14:29,667 --> 00:14:32,868
until a blip suddenly appears
on the radar screen.
259
00:14:32,870 --> 00:14:36,038
That radar blip could've been
one of two things.
260
00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,540
It could've been
a friendly aircraft
261
00:14:38,542 --> 00:14:40,409
returning from a bombing run,
262
00:14:40,411 --> 00:14:43,278
or it could've been
a Silkworm missile
263
00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,280
fired by the Iraqis.
264
00:14:45,282 --> 00:14:47,683
The radar officer
had a decision to make.
265
00:14:47,685 --> 00:14:51,253
He could order
the firing of countermeasures,
266
00:14:51,255 --> 00:14:53,722
but if he did that,
and it was a friendly aircraft,
267
00:14:53,724 --> 00:14:55,958
he would down
a friendly aircraft.
268
00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:01,196
Now, if that incoming object
was an enemy missile,
269
00:15:01,198 --> 00:15:02,831
several hundred people,
along with the ship,
270
00:15:02,833 --> 00:15:03,966
could lose their lives.
271
00:15:03,968 --> 00:15:06,935
And he had less than a minute
to decide.
272
00:15:06,937 --> 00:15:08,470
Freeman: Time is running out.
273
00:15:08,472 --> 00:15:11,707
But all the officer has to go on
is a gut feeling.
274
00:15:11,709 --> 00:15:13,041
[ Computer beeps ]
275
00:15:13,043 --> 00:15:16,979
So he orders
the launch of countermeasures.
276
00:15:21,584 --> 00:15:24,453
He sees the still
unidentified object
277
00:15:24,455 --> 00:15:27,089
fall off the radar screen.
278
00:15:27,091 --> 00:15:30,025
The countermeasures
destroy the target
279
00:15:30,027 --> 00:15:33,428
less than half a mile
from the fleet of ships.
280
00:15:35,031 --> 00:15:37,232
Brown: He went back to his room
and just --
281
00:15:37,234 --> 00:15:39,501
he was just tormented
over what had happened.
282
00:15:39,503 --> 00:15:42,738
Freeman:
His torment is short-lived.
283
00:15:42,740 --> 00:15:44,473
Radio calls confirm
284
00:15:44,475 --> 00:15:48,410
that the target
was indeed a Silkworm missile,
285
00:15:48,412 --> 00:15:50,512
not a friendly aircraft.
286
00:15:50,514 --> 00:15:53,815
In the final review
of the incident,
287
00:15:53,817 --> 00:15:56,885
investigators discovered
that a friendly aircraft
288
00:15:56,887 --> 00:16:00,622
would have appeared on the radar
screen during the first sweep,
289
00:16:00,624 --> 00:16:04,293
whereas the Silkworm missile
would initially be masked
290
00:16:04,295 --> 00:16:05,827
by ground interference.
291
00:16:05,829 --> 00:16:08,363
So, it would only appear
on the screen
292
00:16:08,365 --> 00:16:12,701
during the third radar sweep,
as it got closer to the ships.
293
00:16:12,703 --> 00:16:14,069
The officer's brain
294
00:16:14,071 --> 00:16:17,372
had somehow picked up
on this different pattern,
295
00:16:17,374 --> 00:16:20,342
even though it was not written
in any manual
296
00:16:20,344 --> 00:16:25,013
and he was not consciously aware
of the difference.
297
00:16:25,015 --> 00:16:28,617
The anterior cingulate cortex
registered the danger
298
00:16:28,619 --> 00:16:33,055
based on the experience
of cumulative encounters --
299
00:16:33,057 --> 00:16:36,325
what looks like a friendly
aircraft and what doesn't.
300
00:16:36,327 --> 00:16:39,061
And so, by his action,
in a matter of seconds,
301
00:16:39,063 --> 00:16:41,496
he saved the ship
and hundreds of lives.
302
00:16:41,498 --> 00:16:45,067
The brain
is constantly processing
303
00:16:45,069 --> 00:16:47,369
these kinds of signals.
304
00:16:47,371 --> 00:16:50,505
People may think that
they've just now become aware
305
00:16:50,507 --> 00:16:52,207
or they've just now decided,
306
00:16:52,209 --> 00:16:54,176
but in reality, most likely,
307
00:16:54,178 --> 00:16:58,080
their brain was processing
that information well before.
308
00:16:58,082 --> 00:17:02,684
Freeman: Our subconscious mind
is always two steps ahead of us,
309
00:17:02,686 --> 00:17:06,955
signaling what to do
before we are even aware of it.
310
00:17:06,957 --> 00:17:11,460
Could other people's brains
pick up these signals, too?
311
00:17:15,414 --> 00:17:17,248
Body language --
312
00:17:17,250 --> 00:17:21,152
it's the native tongue
of the subconscious.
313
00:17:21,654 --> 00:17:25,456
The way we move,
the tone of our voice --
314
00:17:25,958 --> 00:17:29,893
we are constantly giving off
these subtle signals,
315
00:17:29,895 --> 00:17:34,298
and they can have a profound
effect on those around us.
316
00:17:34,300 --> 00:17:38,435
What if you could decode
this language?
317
00:17:38,437 --> 00:17:42,773
What are we really saying
to one another?
318
00:17:44,442 --> 00:17:48,012
Humans are always
communicating --
319
00:17:48,014 --> 00:17:50,247
chatting, talking on the phone,
320
00:17:50,249 --> 00:17:53,684
sending e-mails,
tweeting, and texting.
321
00:17:53,686 --> 00:17:58,389
"Sandy" Pentland of
M.I.T.'s Human Dynamics Lab
322
00:17:58,391 --> 00:18:01,291
tries to rise above
all this hubbub.
323
00:18:01,293 --> 00:18:04,728
He prefers a different
perspective on how we connect.
324
00:18:04,730 --> 00:18:08,766
For him,
words are not important.
325
00:18:08,768 --> 00:18:13,404
He cares about a more primal
form of communication.
326
00:18:13,406 --> 00:18:16,840
He calls it honest signaling.
327
00:18:16,842 --> 00:18:19,109
Groups,
before we had much language,
328
00:18:19,111 --> 00:18:21,945
had to still pool language
and make decisions.
329
00:18:21,947 --> 00:18:23,647
You see this in apes today.
330
00:18:23,649 --> 00:18:27,618
And people have the same
sort of behaviors and signals.
331
00:18:27,620 --> 00:18:30,421
It's our social sense
of each other,
332
00:18:30,423 --> 00:18:32,990
things like dominance,
attraction,
333
00:18:32,992 --> 00:18:34,858
interest, excitement, fear.
334
00:18:34,860 --> 00:18:38,195
Those can be examples
of honest signals.
335
00:18:38,197 --> 00:18:40,431
They're not very conscious
to us,
336
00:18:40,433 --> 00:18:44,234
but yet they have big impacts on
how we behave with each other.
337
00:18:44,236 --> 00:18:46,637
Freeman: Sandy wanted to study
338
00:18:46,639 --> 00:18:49,973
how involuntary signals
are transmitted
339
00:18:49,975 --> 00:18:51,775
within groups of people,
340
00:18:51,777 --> 00:18:54,044
so he developed a special tool.
341
00:18:54,046 --> 00:18:56,780
They are called
sociometric badges.
342
00:18:56,782 --> 00:19:00,451
Pentland: So, the sociometric
badges that we have,
343
00:19:00,453 --> 00:19:02,319
they measure
your tone of voice --
344
00:19:02,321 --> 00:19:04,421
so how you say it,
not what you say.
345
00:19:04,423 --> 00:19:06,090
They also measure
a certain of body language
346
00:19:06,092 --> 00:19:07,591
using an accelerometer.
347
00:19:07,593 --> 00:19:12,730
Freeman: Today, Sandy has asked
eight M.I.T. graduate students
348
00:19:12,732 --> 00:19:14,832
to perform a group task.
349
00:19:14,834 --> 00:19:17,267
So, this is
a team-building exercise
350
00:19:17,269 --> 00:19:21,171
to look at how you guys actually
work together to do this task.
351
00:19:21,173 --> 00:19:25,709
And the task is
take pages from a comic book
352
00:19:25,711 --> 00:19:26,844
and put them in the right order
353
00:19:26,846 --> 00:19:28,378
but without showing them
to each other.
354
00:19:28,380 --> 00:19:30,881
So, you have to
talk to each other,
355
00:19:30,883 --> 00:19:33,183
you have to, you know,
figure out ways to describe it
356
00:19:33,185 --> 00:19:35,052
in order to
get it in the right order.
357
00:19:35,054 --> 00:19:38,355
And what we're also gonna do is,
while you do that,
358
00:19:38,357 --> 00:19:40,924
we're gonna have these badges
that we put on you.
359
00:19:43,561 --> 00:19:46,530
There is a weird, like,
spaceship in mine.
360
00:19:46,532 --> 00:19:48,298
I have the explosion.
361
00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:51,668
I can tell you that
the flamethrowers did not work,
362
00:19:51,670 --> 00:19:54,838
whoever had [laughs]
that other section.
363
00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,474
Freeman: While the students try
to solve the task,
364
00:19:57,476 --> 00:20:00,744
the smart badges are busily
recording intimate details
365
00:20:00,746 --> 00:20:03,113
of their subconscious behavior.
366
00:20:03,115 --> 00:20:06,183
So, a lot of these patterns
are, indeed, unconscious.
367
00:20:06,185 --> 00:20:08,752
They're things you can focus on
consciously,
368
00:20:08,754 --> 00:20:10,187
but, normally, you don't.
369
00:20:10,189 --> 00:20:12,356
It turns out
they have enormous impact
370
00:20:12,358 --> 00:20:13,991
on the productivity of a group.
371
00:20:13,993 --> 00:20:16,660
Robots and monsters,
there's two different things.
372
00:20:16,662 --> 00:20:18,128
Oh. I'm robots.
I'm robots.
373
00:20:18,130 --> 00:20:19,763
Maybe we should
clear that out.
374
00:20:19,765 --> 00:20:21,598
Does anyone actually have
a monster,
375
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:23,333
or are we all robots
here?
376
00:20:23,335 --> 00:20:26,069
Freeman: And though the task
has a clear goal,
377
00:20:26,071 --> 00:20:29,106
it's not the outcome
that primarily interests Sandy.
378
00:20:29,108 --> 00:20:31,141
Pentland: In watching things,
379
00:20:31,143 --> 00:20:33,944
we always get distracted
by the ideas.
380
00:20:33,946 --> 00:20:36,680
But what seems to really count,
in terms of performance,
381
00:20:36,682 --> 00:20:38,582
is the flow of information.
382
00:20:38,584 --> 00:20:41,518
Woman: I'm not sure
whether that is the first page
383
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:42,853
or whether it's after.
384
00:20:42,855 --> 00:20:45,556
Like, I could see either
yours as background story,
385
00:20:45,558 --> 00:20:48,192
and then we have, "Here is
your current adventure."
386
00:20:48,194 --> 00:20:50,460
Pentland: This is showing
who's talking to who.
387
00:20:50,462 --> 00:20:53,263
And you see that everybody's
talking pretty much to everybody
388
00:20:53,265 --> 00:20:56,667
except for maybe this one
person, who isn't that involved.
389
00:20:56,669 --> 00:20:58,769
These little yellow balls --
390
00:20:58,771 --> 00:21:01,171
this is how much "in the loop"
people are.
391
00:21:01,173 --> 00:21:05,509
So, are they part
of a loop of conversation?
392
00:21:05,511 --> 00:21:08,512
And that's important
because it has to do with
393
00:21:08,514 --> 00:21:11,348
whether people are on
the same page or not.
394
00:21:11,350 --> 00:21:12,516
Yeah. Boom, boom.
395
00:21:12,518 --> 00:21:14,918
...resulted
from someone else's bomb.
396
00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:16,086
And then, down here,
397
00:21:16,088 --> 00:21:18,455
this is maybe
the most interesting thing.
398
00:21:18,457 --> 00:21:20,457
So, this is looking
at dominance.
399
00:21:20,459 --> 00:21:23,327
So this is how much people
are pushing the conversation
400
00:21:23,329 --> 00:21:24,328
and driving it.
401
00:21:24,330 --> 00:21:26,630
And the size
of the yellow ball there
402
00:21:26,632 --> 00:21:28,298
shows their dominance score,
403
00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:30,901
and you can see
everybody's about the same.
404
00:21:30,903 --> 00:21:33,403
Their yellow circles
are about the same size,
405
00:21:33,405 --> 00:21:36,506
which is what you want for
this sort of brainstorming task.
406
00:21:36,508 --> 00:21:39,009
You don't want anybody
to be really dominant.
407
00:21:39,011 --> 00:21:40,744
You want everybody contributing.
408
00:21:40,746 --> 00:21:43,647
You want everybody holding
the flow about the same time,
409
00:21:43,649 --> 00:21:46,049
and that seems to be
what we got.
410
00:21:46,051 --> 00:21:48,085
I think
I'm actually here.
411
00:21:48,087 --> 00:21:49,887
Good.
Pentland: Okay.
412
00:21:49,889 --> 00:21:52,089
Oh, now we're getting rid
of the end.
413
00:21:52,091 --> 00:21:54,892
Freeman: Sandy has also
found a connection
414
00:21:54,894 --> 00:21:57,394
between a person's tone of voice
415
00:21:57,396 --> 00:22:00,264
and how effective they are
in a group.
416
00:22:00,266 --> 00:22:02,866
Do you have a blond person
and a dark-haired person?
417
00:22:02,868 --> 00:22:04,334
Is that the "scientist,"
418
00:22:04,336 --> 00:22:06,904
or are they a different type
of scientist?
419
00:22:06,906 --> 00:22:09,673
Sandy's studies show
that people who speak
420
00:22:09,675 --> 00:22:13,744
in a direct and consistently
strong tone of voice
421
00:22:13,746 --> 00:22:17,080
are perceived
as having expertise.
422
00:22:17,082 --> 00:22:20,217
Pentland: There's a sort of
practical type of charisma,
423
00:22:20,219 --> 00:22:24,321
which is being able to get
your point across convincingly.
424
00:22:24,323 --> 00:22:25,789
Then you want a lot of energy,
425
00:22:25,791 --> 00:22:27,858
people putting in
lots of contributions,
426
00:22:27,860 --> 00:22:31,762
so the balance of contributions
and having lots of contributions
427
00:22:31,764 --> 00:22:34,364
are two characteristics
of really good teams
428
00:22:34,366 --> 00:22:36,633
in this type of situation.
429
00:22:36,635 --> 00:22:38,635
Everyone's got to
tell their story --
430
00:22:38,637 --> 00:22:40,537
real short --
lay down their piece.
431
00:22:40,539 --> 00:22:42,339
And then, at the end,
432
00:22:42,341 --> 00:22:44,875
we'll turn them over
and see what happened, okay?
433
00:22:50,481 --> 00:22:53,617
Freeman: The moment has arrived.
434
00:22:53,619 --> 00:22:56,086
Does their assembled comic strip
435
00:22:56,088 --> 00:23:00,057
match the correct one
lying facedown on the floor?
436
00:23:00,059 --> 00:23:03,260
Okay. Let's do it here.
437
00:23:03,262 --> 00:23:05,896
First ones.
438
00:23:13,972 --> 00:23:16,907
There we go.
439
00:23:16,909 --> 00:23:20,544
100% right. Yay!
440
00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,016
Freeman: Sandy claims the device
has up to 90% accuracy
441
00:23:26,018 --> 00:23:29,820
identifying productive workers
and problem cases.
442
00:23:29,822 --> 00:23:33,590
Pentland: Individuals want to come across
in a way that's effective.
443
00:23:33,592 --> 00:23:36,059
You want to
have people trust you.
444
00:23:36,061 --> 00:23:38,562
You want to
have your ideas heard.
445
00:23:38,564 --> 00:23:41,331
You don't want to be doing
things that put people off.
446
00:23:41,333 --> 00:23:44,668
The science that we've been able
to do with this says
447
00:23:44,670 --> 00:23:47,304
that it's not
sort of how smart you are,
448
00:23:47,306 --> 00:23:49,806
it's how smart you are
about other people.
449
00:23:49,808 --> 00:23:53,110
I think of it as
improving social intelligence.
450
00:23:53,112 --> 00:23:58,281
The subconscious is constantly
at work behind the scenes.
451
00:23:58,283 --> 00:24:02,652
Without it, we'd never make it
through the day.
452
00:24:02,654 --> 00:24:06,123
But could that hidden
brain power do even more?
453
00:24:06,125 --> 00:24:11,228
Some scientists believe we can
tap into our subconscious
454
00:24:11,230 --> 00:24:15,932
to heal our bodies
and expand our minds.
455
00:24:20,141 --> 00:24:21,875
Stress.
456
00:24:21,877 --> 00:24:24,277
It's all around us --
457
00:24:24,279 --> 00:24:28,782
traffic, deadlines,
financial pressures.
458
00:24:28,784 --> 00:24:32,352
And over time, it can
take a toll on our bodies,
459
00:24:32,354 --> 00:24:36,690
leading to sickness
and sometimes death.
460
00:24:36,692 --> 00:24:41,194
But what if there was a way
to reverse the effects of stress
461
00:24:41,196 --> 00:24:44,164
without the need for any drugs?
462
00:24:44,166 --> 00:24:48,301
What if our minds could heal us?
463
00:24:50,738 --> 00:24:52,138
Dr. Herbert Benson,
464
00:24:52,140 --> 00:24:55,842
of the Benson-Henry Institute
For Mind Body Medicine
465
00:24:55,844 --> 00:24:57,110
in Boston,
466
00:24:57,112 --> 00:25:00,914
is a scientist
of a different mind-set.
467
00:25:00,916 --> 00:25:02,883
He's on a crusade
468
00:25:02,885 --> 00:25:08,922
to show that sickness is as much
mental as it is physical.
469
00:25:08,924 --> 00:25:10,991
Well, it's not all in your mind,
470
00:25:10,993 --> 00:25:14,127
but a lot is in your mind
that we can tap into.
471
00:25:14,129 --> 00:25:19,299
Freeman: In the 1980s,
Herbert trekked to the Himalayas
472
00:25:19,301 --> 00:25:23,203
to observe
how Tibetan monks chill out.
473
00:25:23,205 --> 00:25:26,773
At an altitude of 15,000 feet,
474
00:25:26,775 --> 00:25:30,076
in a monastery as cold
as a refrigerator,
475
00:25:30,078 --> 00:25:33,380
the monks wrap themselves
in frozen sheets
476
00:25:33,382 --> 00:25:39,119
to practice an extraordinary
form of meditation called Tummo.
477
00:25:39,121 --> 00:25:41,087
Through meditation,
478
00:25:41,089 --> 00:25:43,223
Herbert observed
that the monks were able
479
00:25:43,225 --> 00:25:45,258
to raise the temperature
of their skin
480
00:25:45,260 --> 00:25:48,562
by 17 degrees Fahrenheit
481
00:25:48,564 --> 00:25:52,599
while keeping their
core body temperature normal.
482
00:25:52,601 --> 00:25:56,770
Benson: Tummo is a form
of meditation they practice
483
00:25:56,772 --> 00:26:00,574
to do away
with negative thoughts.
484
00:26:00,576 --> 00:26:03,510
And as a by-product of that,
485
00:26:03,512 --> 00:26:08,481
the body is able
to generate enough heat
486
00:26:08,483 --> 00:26:13,286
to dry icy, wet sheets
on their naked bodies
487
00:26:13,288 --> 00:26:15,755
and get them steaming.
488
00:26:18,693 --> 00:26:20,760
Freeman: It's still unknown
489
00:26:20,762 --> 00:26:24,331
exactly how the monks achieve
this inner fire.
490
00:26:24,333 --> 00:26:26,132
But scientists suspect
491
00:26:26,134 --> 00:26:28,501
the meditation
directly taps into
492
00:26:28,503 --> 00:26:33,506
the part of the nervous system
that regulates body temperature.
493
00:26:33,508 --> 00:26:35,008
Benson: We were fascinated
494
00:26:35,010 --> 00:26:39,679
on how far such
a mind-body effect could go.
495
00:26:39,681 --> 00:26:41,815
[ Horns honk ]
496
00:26:41,817 --> 00:26:43,450
[ Baby cries ]
497
00:26:43,452 --> 00:26:47,721
Freeman: If meditation could
control our body's thermostat,
498
00:26:47,723 --> 00:26:51,458
Herbert wondered if the brain
also had the capacity
499
00:26:51,460 --> 00:26:55,095
to cure our modern-day epidemic
of stress.
500
00:26:56,964 --> 00:26:59,332
Herbert believes
that stress stems
501
00:26:59,334 --> 00:27:02,369
from our instinctive
fight-or-flight response,
502
00:27:02,371 --> 00:27:03,837
which begins
503
00:27:03,839 --> 00:27:07,907
when the brain's limbic system
releases a flood of hormones.
504
00:27:07,909 --> 00:27:10,810
A secondary effect
of these stress hormones
505
00:27:10,812 --> 00:27:14,948
is to cause inflammation
in cells.
506
00:27:14,950 --> 00:27:19,019
If cells become inflamed
for prolonged periods,
507
00:27:19,021 --> 00:27:21,721
they can trigger
a host of ailments
508
00:27:21,723 --> 00:27:26,559
like heart disease,
arthritis, and Crohn's disease.
509
00:27:26,561 --> 00:27:29,129
[ Groans ]
510
00:27:29,131 --> 00:27:33,667
So Herbert developed
an eight-week therapy
511
00:27:33,669 --> 00:27:36,403
designed to combat stress,
512
00:27:36,405 --> 00:27:40,840
involving 15 minutes
of meditation every day.
513
00:27:40,842 --> 00:27:44,544
He calls it
the Relaxation Response.
514
00:27:44,546 --> 00:27:48,148
To bring that
relaxation response about,
515
00:27:48,150 --> 00:27:51,651
there has to be
a repetition of a word.
516
00:27:51,653 --> 00:27:53,453
Close your eyes.
517
00:27:53,455 --> 00:27:56,423
And you're gonna find
518
00:27:56,425 --> 00:28:00,126
all sorts of other thoughts
coming to mind.
519
00:28:00,128 --> 00:28:02,529
They're normal,
and they're natural,
520
00:28:02,531 --> 00:28:04,731
and they should be
expected.
521
00:28:04,733 --> 00:28:07,367
And when they occur,
don't be upset,
522
00:28:07,369 --> 00:28:10,937
but simply say,
"Oh, well. Peace."
523
00:28:13,207 --> 00:28:15,575
[ Horn honks, birds chirp ]
524
00:28:15,577 --> 00:28:17,444
[ Man screams ]
525
00:28:17,446 --> 00:28:19,512
[ Thunder rumbles ]
526
00:28:22,149 --> 00:28:24,751
There's a quietude in the brain
527
00:28:24,753 --> 00:28:28,088
that occurs when you evoke
the relaxation response.
528
00:28:28,090 --> 00:28:32,592
Less static,
less noise on brain imaging
529
00:28:32,594 --> 00:28:36,229
measure the very activity
of brain cells themselves.
530
00:28:36,231 --> 00:28:40,867
Very slowly, slowly
open your eyes.
531
00:28:45,306 --> 00:28:47,607
Did you notice any changes
in your body
532
00:28:47,609 --> 00:28:48,975
while you were doing --
533
00:28:48,977 --> 00:28:52,178
repeating the word "peace"
and disregarding other thoughts?
534
00:28:52,180 --> 00:28:54,614
I did.
I just felt like a lightness.
535
00:28:54,616 --> 00:28:57,350
I just don't feel like
anything's bothering me.
536
00:28:57,352 --> 00:28:59,352
I don't have anything
on my mind.
537
00:28:59,354 --> 00:29:00,286
Welcome back.
538
00:29:00,288 --> 00:29:01,421
Yeah. [ Chuckles ]
539
00:29:04,325 --> 00:29:08,328
Freeman: Before and after the eight weeks
of relaxation therapy,
540
00:29:08,330 --> 00:29:11,131
Herbert drew blood samples
from his patients
541
00:29:11,133 --> 00:29:12,966
and looked for any changes
542
00:29:12,968 --> 00:29:18,104
in the activity of genes
that control inflammation.
543
00:29:18,106 --> 00:29:21,875
Benson: Say a certain gene
is being turned on,
544
00:29:21,877 --> 00:29:24,110
that gene will be red.
545
00:29:24,112 --> 00:29:26,279
These are the genes
546
00:29:26,281 --> 00:29:32,485
that control the inflammatory
immune processes of the body.
547
00:29:32,487 --> 00:29:36,189
Then you'll see,
looking at it afterwards,
548
00:29:36,191 --> 00:29:38,391
that gene will be turned off --
549
00:29:38,393 --> 00:29:41,494
red on, green off,
so red to green.
550
00:29:41,496 --> 00:29:43,897
You'll see that change.
551
00:29:43,899 --> 00:29:45,965
Evoking the relaxation response
552
00:29:45,967 --> 00:29:50,069
can actually change
your gene's activity.
553
00:29:50,071 --> 00:29:52,405
Freeman: Herbert's study proves
554
00:29:52,407 --> 00:29:56,242
we can harness the power
of the subconscious brain
555
00:29:56,244 --> 00:29:59,112
to produce
concrete medical benefits.
556
00:29:59,114 --> 00:30:04,150
Benson: We now have
a scientifically proven approach
557
00:30:04,152 --> 00:30:06,920
right down to the genomic level.
558
00:30:06,922 --> 00:30:09,455
This will be more incorporated
559
00:30:09,457 --> 00:30:12,692
because,
not so much of the science,
560
00:30:12,694 --> 00:30:14,627
but also it's cheaper.
561
00:30:14,629 --> 00:30:16,462
This is cheaper than drugs,
562
00:30:16,464 --> 00:30:20,033
and it's obviously cheaper
than surgeries.
563
00:30:20,035 --> 00:30:23,970
Freeman: If our inner mind
can be our medicine,
564
00:30:23,972 --> 00:30:28,107
in what other ways could we
use it to improve our lives?
565
00:30:28,109 --> 00:30:30,443
One scientist has found out,
566
00:30:30,445 --> 00:30:32,712
thanks to
an electrifying discovery.
567
00:30:38,625 --> 00:30:43,395
Have you tried to solve what
seems like a simple problem,
568
00:30:43,397 --> 00:30:46,932
only to find yourself
hopelessly stuck?
569
00:30:46,934 --> 00:30:51,770
You know the answer
is somewhere inside your mind,
570
00:30:51,772 --> 00:30:54,006
but you can't find it.
571
00:30:54,008 --> 00:31:00,445
Perhaps all you need
is a jolt of inspiration.
572
00:31:00,447 --> 00:31:04,883
Allan Snyder is the director
of the Centre for the Mind
573
00:31:04,885 --> 00:31:08,353
at the University of Sydney
in Australia.
574
00:31:08,355 --> 00:31:14,059
And he always has
his thinking cap on.
575
00:31:14,061 --> 00:31:18,363
I was about to get on a train,
and this girl gave me her cap,
576
00:31:18,365 --> 00:31:20,198
and she said, "hey,
you look so good in that.
577
00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:21,300
Keep it."
578
00:31:21,302 --> 00:31:22,567
And that's why I've worn it.
579
00:31:22,569 --> 00:31:24,169
In fact,
I've worn it ever since.
580
00:31:24,171 --> 00:31:27,039
Freeman:
Part comedian, part wizard,
581
00:31:27,041 --> 00:31:29,207
Allan spends much of his time
582
00:31:29,209 --> 00:31:33,645
thinking about the limits of
our problem-solving abilities.
583
00:31:33,647 --> 00:31:35,314
Imagine if you were asked
584
00:31:35,316 --> 00:31:39,418
to count the number of marbles
in this jar.
585
00:31:39,420 --> 00:31:40,986
Could you do it?
586
00:31:40,988 --> 00:31:45,457
Snyder: Our minds categorize
things into concepts,
587
00:31:45,459 --> 00:31:48,226
and we're not so good at detail.
588
00:31:48,228 --> 00:31:50,595
We see the whole
and not the parts.
589
00:31:50,597 --> 00:31:53,432
We see the forest,
not the individual trees.
590
00:31:53,434 --> 00:31:56,535
But what would happen
if you weren't like that?
591
00:31:56,537 --> 00:32:00,038
Suppose you did have access
to all the literal details
592
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,008
in the world.
593
00:32:03,010 --> 00:32:07,846
Freeman: Allan thinks we can
access this cognitive power
594
00:32:07,848 --> 00:32:10,649
because some people already do.
595
00:32:10,651 --> 00:32:14,353
Autism is
a neurodevelopmental disorder
596
00:32:14,355 --> 00:32:18,423
that affects social
and communication skills.
597
00:32:18,425 --> 00:32:21,593
But 10% of autistics
are savants.
598
00:32:21,595 --> 00:32:24,563
They exhibit exceptional skills
599
00:32:24,565 --> 00:32:28,967
involving math, memory,
music, and art.
600
00:32:28,969 --> 00:32:33,772
Snyder: An autistic savant
is someone who has the ability
601
00:32:33,774 --> 00:32:37,075
to see the parts
and not the whole.
602
00:32:37,077 --> 00:32:42,981
They have privileged access
to unconscious details,
603
00:32:42,983 --> 00:32:45,784
unconscious processes
that all of us have,
604
00:32:45,786 --> 00:32:48,620
but they're beyond
our conscious awareness.
605
00:32:48,622 --> 00:32:52,057
Maybe genius requires
a dash of autism.
606
00:32:52,059 --> 00:32:56,395
Freeman: Allan has discovered
that autistic savants' brains
607
00:32:56,397 --> 00:32:59,398
share a pattern
of unusual activity --
608
00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:02,134
impairment
of the left temporal lobe,
609
00:33:02,136 --> 00:33:03,602
a region he believes
610
00:33:03,604 --> 00:33:06,938
is associated
with pre-existing concepts,
611
00:33:06,940 --> 00:33:10,409
and an overcompensation
in the right temporal lobe,
612
00:33:10,411 --> 00:33:14,513
which Allan suggests
deals with new ideas.
613
00:33:14,515 --> 00:33:18,717
Allan wanted to find
the inner savant in all of us,
614
00:33:18,719 --> 00:33:23,288
so he came up with the idea
of a creativity cap,
615
00:33:23,290 --> 00:33:25,223
a device that would mimic
616
00:33:25,225 --> 00:33:28,293
a savant's patterns
of brain activity.
617
00:33:28,295 --> 00:33:31,329
Imagine a device
that allows us to do, perhaps,
618
00:33:31,331 --> 00:33:34,666
problems that other people
have had great difficulty.
619
00:33:34,668 --> 00:33:36,601
We're going to show you
620
00:33:36,603 --> 00:33:40,372
a number of equations
made from matchsticks --
621
00:33:40,374 --> 00:33:43,408
Roman numeral type
of matchstick equations.
622
00:33:43,410 --> 00:33:46,278
And something's wrong
with the equation,
623
00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:48,680
and you're supposed to
move one matchstick
624
00:33:48,682 --> 00:33:51,550
to make the equation
correct.
625
00:34:05,498 --> 00:34:09,401
One plus three equals four, yep.
That's it. That's the solution.
626
00:34:09,403 --> 00:34:10,802
Now let's do another.
627
00:34:12,472 --> 00:34:14,706
Freeman: Carl sees a pattern.
628
00:34:14,708 --> 00:34:20,445
By changing a Roman numeral X,
or 10, to a V, or 5,
629
00:34:20,447 --> 00:34:23,048
he can correct the equation.
630
00:34:23,050 --> 00:34:28,320
Applying the same pattern,
he solves several more puzzles.
631
00:34:28,322 --> 00:34:31,957
But when presented with
a different type of equation,
632
00:34:31,959 --> 00:34:35,393
one that is not corrected
by changing a 10 to a 5,
633
00:34:35,395 --> 00:34:37,929
Carl is stumped.
634
00:34:47,373 --> 00:34:48,874
No idea.
635
00:34:48,876 --> 00:34:50,041
Okay.
636
00:34:51,310 --> 00:34:53,378
Freeman:
Now Allan prepares to give him
637
00:34:53,380 --> 00:34:56,081
a jolt of inspiration.
638
00:34:56,083 --> 00:35:00,285
This cap sends a small
positive electric current
639
00:35:00,287 --> 00:35:02,454
to the right side of the brain,
640
00:35:02,456 --> 00:35:06,224
while a negative current
runs to the left hemisphere.
641
00:35:06,226 --> 00:35:08,360
The technique is called
642
00:35:08,362 --> 00:35:14,266
transcranial direct current
stimulation, or TDCS.
643
00:35:14,268 --> 00:35:18,136
And it's designed to mimic
the pattern of brain activity
644
00:35:18,138 --> 00:35:20,272
found in savants.
645
00:35:20,274 --> 00:35:22,741
Okay.
How do you feel now?
646
00:35:22,743 --> 00:35:25,343
There's a little bit tingling.
647
00:35:27,947 --> 00:35:31,182
Freeman:
After stimulating with TDCS,
648
00:35:31,184 --> 00:35:34,653
Carl tries
the matchstick problem again.
649
00:35:41,894 --> 00:35:43,895
Very good.
Congratulations.
650
00:35:43,897 --> 00:35:46,698
Snyder: This is a case
of mental fixation.
651
00:35:46,700 --> 00:35:49,100
We can't help
but look at the world
652
00:35:49,102 --> 00:35:51,937
through the frames
of what we already know.
653
00:35:51,939 --> 00:35:55,707
We see a filtered view of the
world, not all the details.
654
00:35:55,709 --> 00:35:59,444
But Carl, after transcranial
direct current stimulation,
655
00:35:59,446 --> 00:36:00,845
was able to see the solution.
656
00:36:00,847 --> 00:36:03,248
Freeman: Allan's creativity cap
657
00:36:03,250 --> 00:36:07,018
temporarily changed
the way Carl's brain worked.
658
00:36:07,020 --> 00:36:12,958
It appeared to give him
savant-like abilities.
659
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,628
I can imagine a day
when we have creativity caps
660
00:36:16,630 --> 00:36:20,231
that can allow us
to look at the world anew,
661
00:36:20,233 --> 00:36:23,868
free of our mind-sets.
662
00:36:23,870 --> 00:36:27,372
Freeman: But Allan's research
is only scratching the surface
663
00:36:27,374 --> 00:36:29,608
of the mind's true potential.
664
00:36:29,610 --> 00:36:34,346
This man believes the hidden
power of the subconscious
665
00:36:34,348 --> 00:36:38,450
can take us all to new heights.
666
00:36:41,045 --> 00:36:44,648
The subconscious mind
is more than just a storehouse
667
00:36:44,650 --> 00:36:47,451
for primal thoughts
and emotions.
668
00:36:47,953 --> 00:36:51,755
It's vital to our daily function
and survival.
669
00:36:51,757 --> 00:36:56,359
We know that we can harness it
to reveal temporary genius.
670
00:36:56,361 --> 00:37:00,263
But could we permanently modify
our brains,
671
00:37:00,265 --> 00:37:05,001
custom stimulate them
to be smarter and more powerful?
672
00:37:09,340 --> 00:37:12,208
Michael Weisend
is a neuroscientist
673
00:37:12,210 --> 00:37:16,179
at the Mind Research Network
in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
674
00:37:16,181 --> 00:37:19,616
He has been drafted
by the U.S. Air Force
675
00:37:19,618 --> 00:37:25,255
to improve its most powerful
image processes -- human brains.
676
00:37:25,257 --> 00:37:28,391
Military technicians,
not computers,
677
00:37:28,393 --> 00:37:32,295
analyze the images
from unmanned aerial drones,
678
00:37:32,297 --> 00:37:37,133
looking for enemy targets
suitable for aerial bombardment.
679
00:37:37,135 --> 00:37:39,135
It's a high-stakes task
680
00:37:39,137 --> 00:37:43,940
where one mistake could mean
destroying an allied aid vehicle
681
00:37:43,942 --> 00:37:48,978
instead of
an enemy artillery truck.
682
00:37:48,980 --> 00:37:52,115
Only humans interpret the data
that comes off of the drones.
683
00:37:52,117 --> 00:37:55,919
So there's a need for a greater
number of image analysts
684
00:37:55,921 --> 00:37:58,521
to look at that data,
685
00:37:58,523 --> 00:38:02,859
and we wanted to enhance
the ability of the brain
686
00:38:02,861 --> 00:38:05,528
to experience
and record information
687
00:38:05,530 --> 00:38:07,096
from the environment.
688
00:38:09,934 --> 00:38:11,935
Freeman: Computers
are not yet smart enough
689
00:38:11,937 --> 00:38:16,206
to pick out enemy targets on the
grainy imagery from the drones.
690
00:38:16,208 --> 00:38:18,408
Only humans have enough skill
691
00:38:18,410 --> 00:38:21,511
in recognizing
their distinctive shapes
692
00:38:21,513 --> 00:38:24,247
when distorted
by sunlight and grainy pixels.
693
00:38:24,249 --> 00:38:27,450
It typically takes
many months of training
694
00:38:27,452 --> 00:38:30,153
to become proficient
at this task.
695
00:38:30,155 --> 00:38:34,924
The trouble is we cannot create
enough experts quickly enough
696
00:38:34,926 --> 00:38:39,529
to deal with the demand from
the remotely piloted aircraft,
697
00:38:39,531 --> 00:38:40,830
or the drones.
698
00:38:40,832 --> 00:38:42,999
Freeman:
But Michael had an idea.
699
00:38:43,001 --> 00:38:46,502
He would locate the region
of the brain that is most active
700
00:38:46,504 --> 00:38:49,205
while the experts
were looking for targets,
701
00:38:49,207 --> 00:38:52,742
then he would use transcranial
direct current stimulation
702
00:38:52,744 --> 00:38:56,980
to amplify the activity in that
region of the trainees' brains
703
00:38:56,982 --> 00:39:00,416
and see whether
it made them faster learners.
704
00:39:00,418 --> 00:39:03,086
One of the things that's
quite obvious in the scans
705
00:39:03,088 --> 00:39:06,055
is that, when you are a novice,
706
00:39:06,057 --> 00:39:10,760
there's low-level activation
in the medial temporal lobes.
707
00:39:10,762 --> 00:39:14,330
But in experts, there's
very high-level activation.
708
00:39:14,332 --> 00:39:17,600
And so we targeted TDCS
at these areas
709
00:39:17,602 --> 00:39:22,071
that increase activity
in order to accelerate training.
710
00:39:22,073 --> 00:39:25,909
Freeman: Once the TDCS headgear
is in place
711
00:39:25,911 --> 00:39:27,877
but not yet turned on,
712
00:39:27,879 --> 00:39:31,047
the novice goes through
a half hour training session
713
00:39:31,049 --> 00:39:33,116
studying aerial photos.
714
00:39:34,351 --> 00:39:38,254
In the center is a red circle
that he needs to click and drag
715
00:39:38,256 --> 00:39:40,957
to any object
that looks threatening --
716
00:39:40,959 --> 00:39:44,727
in this case,
an enemy rocket launcher.
717
00:39:54,905 --> 00:39:59,542
This is definitely a pattern
recognition type of experiment.
718
00:39:59,544 --> 00:40:02,412
Here, where there are
yellow circles,
719
00:40:02,414 --> 00:40:05,548
those show the real targets
in the image.
720
00:40:05,550 --> 00:40:09,085
Where there are red circles
with no yellow,
721
00:40:09,087 --> 00:40:13,089
those are incorrect choices,
and so, in this case,
722
00:40:13,091 --> 00:40:17,760
there was one correct choice
and two incorrect choices.
723
00:40:17,762 --> 00:40:22,198
Freeman:
Next, Michael applies TDCS
724
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,200
to the novice's brain.
725
00:40:24,202 --> 00:40:28,071
After 30 minutes
of electrical stimulation,
726
00:40:28,073 --> 00:40:30,873
he tries again.
727
00:40:33,844 --> 00:40:38,047
He now quickly identifies
five enemy targets
728
00:40:38,049 --> 00:40:42,318
in one image
without making a single mistake.
729
00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,988
In the people
who got brain stimulation,
730
00:40:44,990 --> 00:40:48,958
every individual
was performing at expert level
731
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,694
after an hour of training.
732
00:40:51,696 --> 00:40:54,564
Freeman: On average,
novices who've had TDCS
733
00:40:54,566 --> 00:40:59,802
identify twice as many targets
compared with those who haven't.
734
00:40:59,804 --> 00:41:02,405
When he put subjects
back in the scanner,
735
00:41:02,407 --> 00:41:03,639
Michael discovered
736
00:41:03,641 --> 00:41:06,376
that the patterns of activity
in their brains
737
00:41:06,378 --> 00:41:08,511
are permanently changed.
738
00:41:08,513 --> 00:41:12,248
Their newly acquired skills
stay with them
739
00:41:12,250 --> 00:41:15,318
even after
the stimulation wears off.
740
00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:19,956
It's not hard to imagine where
this technology could end up.
741
00:41:19,958 --> 00:41:22,892
College kids could use it
for calculus,
742
00:41:22,894 --> 00:41:26,396
tiger moms for
pitch-perfect piano recitals.
743
00:41:26,398 --> 00:41:28,765
Just isolate
the part of the brain
744
00:41:28,767 --> 00:41:30,733
you need to learn a skill,
745
00:41:30,735 --> 00:41:34,504
and a TDCS cap could
make you a master in minutes.
746
00:41:34,506 --> 00:41:36,506
Whee!
747
00:41:36,508 --> 00:41:41,411
I've stimulated my brain
with TDCS many, many times.
748
00:41:41,413 --> 00:41:44,013
I've noticed this intense focus
749
00:41:44,015 --> 00:41:45,848
and the ability to concentrate
very carefully
750
00:41:45,850 --> 00:41:49,886
on material that I'm looking at.
751
00:41:49,888 --> 00:41:52,021
And I think it would be
a great benefit
752
00:41:52,023 --> 00:41:54,357
to be able to use
the tools of neuroscience
753
00:41:54,359 --> 00:41:56,292
to benefit people,
754
00:41:56,294 --> 00:42:02,832
to make sure that they
could perform at a high level.
755
00:42:02,834 --> 00:42:05,735
Benson:
As we learn more and more
756
00:42:05,737 --> 00:42:10,206
about which structures in
the brain are being activated,
757
00:42:10,208 --> 00:42:12,375
we can show
it's part of you going on,
758
00:42:12,377 --> 00:42:14,577
whether you're thinking about it
or not.
759
00:42:15,379 --> 00:42:17,713
Snyder: Much of what we do
is unconscious --
760
00:42:17,715 --> 00:42:20,049
our preferences, our prejudices.
761
00:42:20,051 --> 00:42:23,019
Someone back there
is guiding the show.
762
00:42:23,021 --> 00:42:24,220
Who's in charge?
763
00:42:24,222 --> 00:42:27,657
And I think it's the unconscious
that's in charge.
764
00:42:31,762 --> 00:42:36,332
Science has proven that
we really do have two minds.
765
00:42:36,334 --> 00:42:39,569
One drives
our conscious thoughts.
766
00:42:39,571 --> 00:42:44,774
The other is a shadow brain
that never stops working.
767
00:42:44,776 --> 00:42:49,145
It protects us from harm,
heals our bodies,
768
00:42:49,147 --> 00:42:52,949
allows us to think faster
and more creatively.
769
00:42:52,951 --> 00:42:56,886
We've unlocked some secrets
of the subconscious.
770
00:42:56,888 --> 00:43:00,790
When we finally tap into
its hidden powers,
771
00:43:00,792 --> 00:43:03,140
who knows what we will achieve?
772
00:43:03,141 --> 00:43:07,141
== sync, corrected by elderman ==61984
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