1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: Works dot Com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb, and I'm Julie Tuggler. Julie. 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Here we are in the holidays, in the midst of it. 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: They're piping the music in to the mardat stations like 6 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: it's some sort of vaccine that's gonna protect this simply 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: being a wonderful Christmas time. Yeah, that one. That seven 8 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: and the morning, you know, you're trying to listen to 9 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: your own music or get stuck in your own book. 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: At any rate, it's not even December yet, and I'm 11 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: you know, I'm already I understand the train station is 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: uh is killing your ear drums with Christmas music? Yeah, 13 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: but I mean the big thing about Christmas, of course, 14 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: is the gift giving, right Christmas saw Holidays though, the 15 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: whole whatever you're you're calling your winter gift giving shenanigans. Uh, 16 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: it generally relates to taking something in a box, wrapping 17 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: it up, sticking in a bag, creating this air of history, right, 18 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: what's inside it? What could it be? And and people 19 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: get excited about it. Right. In this podcast, we're basically 20 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: advocating give the gift of an empty box. Well okay, 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: maybe not necessarily an empty box, and we'll talk about 22 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: this because maybe you could. You could fill this box 23 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: with ideas, thoughts and presented as a present. I'm sure 24 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 1: that will go over really well, especially with the kids. 25 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,199 Speaker 1: I mean, they're so cheap. Um. I drew my uncle 26 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: Craig in the gift raffle this year or something. I'm 27 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: going to give him some like a box of ideas 28 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: and we'll see how that plays out. I think he's 29 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: gonna love it. And I think that that you should. 30 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: If he doesn't understand it, he's going to have to 31 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: listen to this podcast so he can really appreciate that. 32 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: Sometimes one of the biggest gifts is a mystery, right, 33 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: And we can't help but get really excited about a 34 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: mystery about what might be inside of a box. Um. 35 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: And sometimes we approach it, we unwrap it with gusto, 36 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: and sometimes we shy away. And so we're gonna talk 37 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: about that in various forms today, right, because that's what 38 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: it is. That is what it's always fascinating about a 39 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: gift box or a mystery box. It's the mystery. It's 40 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: not oh I want to tear into that thing and 41 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: get what's in it. And and granted we sort of 42 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: lose track of that, I think sometimes with our gift giving, 43 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: with the with the use of say like an Amazon 44 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,519 Speaker 1: gift list and all this, because it's like because it's 45 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: it's so regimented, it's like, these are the things I want, 46 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: these are the things you may give me, please check 47 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: them off. And then you know people are cheating anyway 48 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,239 Speaker 1: and seeing there's no mystery there, seeing what what they're 49 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: going to get ahead of time. But but yeah, mystery 50 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: boxes in general, we were chatting about this. We each 51 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: have like a few different stories that relate to mystery 52 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: boxes in our own life. Will you talk a little 53 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: about the art in your house? And yeah, yeah, we 54 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: have UM in our house. We have a giant painting 55 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: and it's an abstract and it sort of looks like 56 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: it could be UM maybe like an advertising like a 57 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: poll or something that is that is has like a 58 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: little advertisement on it. And on off of that is 59 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: an envelope that has been attached to this painting and 60 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: it is sealed and there's no way you could remove 61 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: it without absolutely destroying the painting, or if you open it, 62 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: you would destroy the painting. But it is a part 63 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: of the work. It's not merely something that says like, Hey, guys, 64 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed the piece I made for you. Here's 65 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: the receipt for the painting. Suckers. Um. But no, this 66 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: was actually something that was given to us by a 67 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: friend and we traded out some our work and so. 68 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: And of course Jeff will never tell us what is 69 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: inside that envelope. But as you can see if you 70 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: look at it, actually you can see the corners of 71 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: the envelope have been played with enough that they've been 72 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: kind of turned up. And so it drives everybody crazy, 73 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: particularly my father in law. He wants to know what 74 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: is in that envelope. Uh. And I'm pretty sure he's 75 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: probably trying to steam an open before too, and we 76 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: haven't been home. But um, it does drive people nuts 77 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: because there's this idea that maybe it could contain the 78 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: secrets of the world, or maybe it would I mean, 79 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: at the very least just have something really interesting to say, right, 80 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: because it contains basically anything in the world until you 81 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: open it, exactly, it has all the possibilities in the 82 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: world until you open it, right, But could it be 83 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: a Pandora's box. Could all the ills of the world 84 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: fly out of that envelope and it can never be 85 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: stuffed back in. They can never be stuffed back in. 86 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 1: All the demons are out there. Um. And then the 87 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: other thing that you mentioned is a little postcard that 88 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 1: I have or a couple of them at my cubicle, 89 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: and uh, it's a scratch off like sort of like, 90 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: am I guess what you call a like a lottery ticket? Yeah, 91 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: a lottery ticket. And there's a woman in a beautiful 92 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: dress and she's got a big round scratch off over 93 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: her head. You could scratch off and see what's underneath, 94 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: but I refused to. I want the mystery. Now. Did 95 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: you place them on there? Or did they they came? 96 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: They came that way, because every time I walk by 97 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: your desk, I see those and there there. This is 98 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: a temptation like what's going on under there? Yeah? What 99 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: is what is going on with that lady? Or in 100 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: one of them a llama or something? Yeah, there's a 101 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: lama to yea, what is this alama? Have a head? 102 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: Is it is it's head missing? I don't know, I know? 103 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: Is it? Is it a monkey underneath a lama. And 104 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: by the way, you've just revealed yourself. If I ever 105 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: find them scratched, I know exactly who did it. Well, 106 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: I mean, it's really a miracle that that nobody has 107 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: scratched it, because I brought a model airplane to work 108 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: and it's been broken twice by mysterious hands. But how 109 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: how come mysterious hands are not going after your art? 110 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: Because that whatever like sort of gremlin we have is 111 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: interested in model airplanes and not art. Um. So anyway, 112 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: there there's are some examples, and then you have an 113 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: example of a mystery thought. Oh yes, yes, I have 114 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: a really good one. This is a story. I haven't 115 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: actually told this one a lot, but it's it's such 116 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: a good story, so now I will share with the world. 117 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: Back when I was like in junior high, Um, my 118 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: my family went to this Southern Baptist church and they 119 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 1: were big on the whole wait till you're married to 120 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: have sex. And if you've had sex already as a 121 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: junior high kid or high school kid, um, you need 122 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: to sort of regain your virginity, like sort of a 123 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: new replacement virginity can be bestowed upon you, and then 124 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: keep that one intact until such time as you're married 125 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: in the eyes of God and all that. So a 126 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: part of this campaign, if you will, um, we were 127 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: all issued a little box that was wrapped in gift paper. 128 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: It was the size of a cassette tape. For those 129 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: of you who remember cassette tapes, the little plastic case 130 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: that it comes in. It was that size. And indeed, 131 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: if you pressed on it and sort of felt the package, 132 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: you could tell that it was in fact like a a 133 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: cassette box that was wrapped up. Okay, but it's sealed, right, 134 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: But it's sealed and and then of course the big 135 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: question is is what's inside that box? Now? Now, obviously 136 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 1: what is the purpose of the box? Why the box 137 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: is supposed to represent your virginity, the special gift that 138 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: God has bestowed upon you, and that you were supposed 139 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: to keep it in treasure it and uh and and 140 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to unwrap it until such times so 141 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: you make love and the Holy Spirit then visits you, 142 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: you're able to unwrap this. Yeah, yeah there. Yeah. Basically, 143 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: so they were like, here you go. Of course, after 144 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: you've been married yet, this is a reminder, you know, 145 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: and it's like a metaphor and now. So I ended 146 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: up sticking this package away for for a long time because, 147 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: as it turns out, I didn't actually have to open 148 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: it until I was into my twenties. Um, which is 149 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: no big deal. If you're you know, if any of 150 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: your kids listening right now, and you feel like some 151 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: sort of weird pressure to go out there and and 152 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: have some sex, let me just tell you, it's not 153 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: that big a deal. So I just, uh, you know, 154 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: chill out. It'll all make a lot more sense later. 155 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: But but so I'm in my twenties and I'm you know, 156 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: I'm doing whatever. And then I realized, hey, um, this 157 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: thing happened the other week. So now technically I can 158 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: open that package and I won't be cheating because imagine 159 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,679 Speaker 1: some of the kids took it home and I opened 160 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: it immediately because they were like, oh, I wonder what 161 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: this is? What's inside this? Then I'm supposed to have 162 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: You weren't married, right, like, you didn't know? Okay, I 163 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: just wanted to because you hear I'm just saying, like, 164 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: you're this you know this was the idea? No? No, yeah, 165 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: I I didn't it was. There were other causes for 166 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: me not opening that package. Till I was in my twenties, right, 167 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: So but I'm saying, though, that's not like you waited, 168 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: and you're like, okay, no, no, it's just there's that package. Right. 169 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: It just ended up not happening in my life until 170 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: I was at that, you know, at this particular age. 171 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: And then I then I realized, hey, I've got that package. 172 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: And so the next time I came home and I 173 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: went through a box of my old stuff and I 174 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: found it, and I'm like, all right, I'm gonna go 175 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: ahead and open this up. See what this was all about. 176 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: Because I was kind of superstitious about it before. I 177 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: was like, well, if I opened it too early, what 178 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: if that jinxes me for life? And then you know, 179 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: even though you don't subscribe to an even though I 180 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: don't subscribe to it, you know, and and uh, and 181 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: then I was also thinking, like, what if there's like 182 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: this nasty note in it that it's like it's from 183 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: my youth pastor and he's like, wow, you're really screwed 184 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: up there, buddy, or or a way to throw away 185 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: your precious gift, you know, I don't know. So I 186 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: um so I opened it up and the box is 187 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: empty there's nothing inside it, Like there's not a note 188 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: saying I'm shaking my head now, or a note saying 189 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: I hope you did the right thing, or you know, 190 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: a prize of gift certificate. I think that's really sad 191 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: because I mean, that to me is just laziness, because 192 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: or I would think that the church thought so little 193 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: of the kid's ability to retain the virginity that they 194 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 1: are like, you know what, that's not going to happen anyway, 195 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: let's not fill it with anything. Well, it would have 196 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: also been bed if they'd filled it was something perishable, 197 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: like some candy or something. Because then I'm like, wow, 198 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: they had no faith in us at all. They were like, 199 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: just go ahead and put you know, the expiration date 200 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: is next month. They're probably gonna open it tonight. Might 201 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: as well have a treat in there to keep them 202 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: business and see, So you were disappointed because all of 203 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: the possibilities ceased to exist, right, I don't know if 204 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: I was disappointed. Uh, it was just more kind of fascinating, 205 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: like why why didn't they put something? And it was 206 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: it intentional? I tend to to think that probably they 207 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,079 Speaker 1: were just pressed for time and they wanted to do something, 208 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: but like a far side cartoon. They could have thrown 209 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: in anything. Yeah, you know, a fortune cookie? Um uh, 210 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: what's youma call it? A little slip of paper? Yeah, 211 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: lottery numbers on it. I don't know. I wasn't you know, 212 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: I wasn't disappointed, and I certainly wasn't like, oh, I 213 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: wish I had opened this ages ago, literally or figuratively. 214 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's it's It just shows you, though, how 215 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: the idea of something in a package can sort of 216 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: captivate your mind for years and years on end. Well, okay, 217 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: so let's talk about one more story. Ben Boland gave 218 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: me a special gift the other day of stuff they 219 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: don't want you to know. Yeah, and and by a 220 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: special gift, I mean he gave me a package, not 221 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: his virginity, but um, but it was. And I didn't 222 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: know it was from him at the time, but I 223 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: came into work and there's a package and it said mystery, Um, 224 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: you know, gift. You can choose to open it, keep it, 225 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: or throw it away, or or cross out your name 226 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: and give it. And it says a mystery package arrived. 227 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: What do you do? And I shared this on the 228 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: Facebook because and We had different answers. Some people were like, 229 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: throw it away, give it away, open it now, I 230 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: must see what's inside it. And it turned it was 231 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: a book that we had been talking about, but but 232 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: it really captivated my well psychologically, I think that everybody 233 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: was like, what could it be? Could it be something 234 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: good or ill will? Which is essentially what every box 235 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: presented to you is right? And is it a test? 236 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: I was kind of getting shadows of the uh, the 237 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: Virginity box there, because I'm like, am I meant to 238 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: open this? Am I meant to give it to someone else? 239 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: So I ended up actually crossing out my name, putting 240 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: yours on it, and then you you were scared to 241 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: death of it. I was like, what, thanks, Lamb. So 242 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: then I take it to someone else and then we 243 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 1: crossed it out and then backpack to So it was 244 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: meant to be and uh yeah it was a book 245 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: Illuminati trilogy. Yeah, there we go, which lovely think for 246 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: Ben Balon to do. Ben. Thanks if you're listening. Yeah, So, okay, 247 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: let's talk about when you receive a box that you 248 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: don't want. And let's say that your name is Enzo 249 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: Antania and you live in Genoa. It in your port 250 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: worker who specializes in radiation detection. Ah, this is the 251 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: the story. I believe this was unwired um about the 252 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: the radioactive cargo container. Yeah, shows up. I don't know 253 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: what's inside it, but we know that whatever is inside 254 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: it is radioactive. Yeah. Like basically, it's just another day, 255 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: another thousand of these things a day coming into this 256 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: one particular port. So that's that's actually a pretty sobering statistic, 257 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: by the way, because if you think about it, there 258 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: are millions and millions of these shipping containers and cargo 259 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: containers um going around the world. So here's this one 260 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: port a thousand a day and Zoe shows up, turns 261 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: on his radiation detector, and the thing goes nuts. In fact, 262 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: it goes off the charts. And he hasn't even gone 263 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: into the area to actually try to um do his 264 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: security check. So turns out that there is uh something 265 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: inside of it obviously that is highly radioactive, and they 266 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: think that it could be a dirty mom and they 267 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 1: freak out and they move it away as far as possible. 268 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: In the meantime, it languishes on that doc for almost 269 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: a year. Yeah, because they're trying to figure out who 270 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: is going to pay for Can we get it? Can 271 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: be Uh where did it come from? Can we ship 272 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: it back? Saudi Arabia? From from whence it originated? Was 273 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 1: like no way, no, thank you. Um, and you know, 274 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: these things are really hard to track. And what is 275 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: it contain? Is it? Is it some sort of nefarious device? 276 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: Is it? Is it just waste material? Is it the 277 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: ark of the Covenant? But exactly exactly, and it is 278 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: actually tagged as waste material. There's a picture of the inside. 279 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: But of course when you're looking at all these copper coils, 280 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 1: you know, twenty two tons of copper coils, something obviously 281 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: could be put in there and and you would never 282 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: discover it. Uh So anyway, sat there for a long 283 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: time until they finally got a robot to go in 284 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: and um, they use some cameras and they figured out 285 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: that it was a chunk of cobalt. Yeah, which was 286 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: even odd because, um, you know, this is not some 287 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: sort of material that you find every day. In fact, 288 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: I believe that it came from or at least they're 289 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: thinking that it came from, um, some sort of medical 290 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: device or machine used to sterilized food. And it's really 291 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: expensive to dispose of this sort of thing. Um, but 292 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: apparently this is just not all that odd that you 293 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: would have shipping containers with nefarious things inside of it. 294 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: In fact, that wire dot com, the article wise this 295 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: cargo container emitting so much radiation, said that there was 296 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 1: this one guy who they found and this was just 297 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: six weeks after NNE eleven, by the way. Um, they 298 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: found him inside of one of the shipping containers because 299 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: they heard noise and they opened it up and lo 300 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: and behold they found that this guy was hanging out 301 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: in there with a satellite phone, uh cell phone, a laptop, cameras, maps, 302 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: security passes to airports in Canada, Thailand, and Egypt. And 303 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: the container was outfitted with a bed, a water supply, 304 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: a heater, and a toilet. Yeah. So and you know, okay, 305 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: it was uh a little bit odd, right, don't you think? Well, 306 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: I don't know, I've seen some magazine articles where dudes 307 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: take a cargo container and transform it into an upscale apartment, 308 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: right right. But he was not, you know, that, some 309 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: sort of model for Dwell magazine, you know, saying oh 310 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: look at my great postmodern home here. Um. They actually 311 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: nicknamed him container Bob and the Kui posted bail and 312 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: Italian court it was never seen again. Yeah, so I mean, 313 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: you know, and there's been a lot of talk actually 314 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: about the security of shipping containers and so that remains 315 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: a pretty big problem or you know, I guess you 316 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: would say a blind spot in security, right, And of 317 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: course we don't have to dwell much on this, but 318 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: obviously there are tons of Like the big thing, the 319 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: big show today on multiple networks is the whole antiquers 320 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: and these people checking out abandoned the storage facilities, uh 321 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: where they get to the auction off the contents of 322 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: abandoned storage, especially in this economy where people are no 323 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: longer able to pay for him to right, and they're 324 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: mostly filled with nothing anyway, but there's always that chance, 325 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: and people get really into that idea because they don't say, 326 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: all right, everybody, go in here and check it out 327 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: and see if there's anything you want to buy. They're like, 328 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: we're gonna sell everything. You buy, you buy everything or nothing, 329 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: you keep everything or nothing, and you just get a break. 330 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: So so so that's that's a great example of people 331 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: that are just captivated by the possibility that amidst in 332 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: in the midst of all that junk and and left 333 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: over um uh, material from somebody's life and somebody's sob story. Uh, 334 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: there's gonna be something value. I have read that mostly 335 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: what people find are like sacks of porn. I'm not kidding. Really, Yeah, 336 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: and you know, maybe there's some vintage porn in there 337 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: that that you could sell on eBay. I don't know, 338 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: but yeah, most of the time, it's not anything that 339 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: that's that's very exciting. It's not like you get like 340 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: Hannibal Lecters storage unit. You get a vintage car and 341 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: a severed head. I was thinking of science of the 342 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: Lamps too, because there it's the not Hannibals, but like 343 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: somebody else's and they have somebody the new Hannibal, right, 344 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: just like a head in a jar or something. You're right. 345 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: It was Ruskin or something, one of his patients. I 346 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: think that was his name. I don't know why I 347 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: remember that. But in a moment here we are going 348 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: to talk about humans as mystery boxes, and we'll get 349 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: a little more into the science, uh, and not just 350 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: amusing tale. That's right, people in containers. This podcast is 351 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: brought to you by Intel, the sponsors of Tomorrow and 352 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: the Discovery channel at Intel. We believe curiosity is the 353 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: spark which drives innovation. Join us at curiosity dot com 354 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: and explore the answers to life's questions. All right, we're back. 355 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: Let's uh, let's open this up. Okay, it was insided here, 356 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: all right, so before we get to humans, we're gonna 357 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: have to talk about cats, specifically a cat in a box. Yes, 358 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: and this would have This was one that I think 359 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: most of our listeners are gonna be familiar with, and 360 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 1: that is, of course shroed Injur's cat. We're not gonna 361 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: dive too deep into the quantum physics here, but because 362 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: but but essentially, this is a this is a thought experiment, 363 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:09,360 Speaker 1: and it has to do with the Copenhagen interpretation of uncertainty. Yeah, 364 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,199 Speaker 1: that was the first proposed by boor in uh. And 365 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 1: it says that a quantum particle doesn't exist in one 366 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: state or another, but in all of its possible states 367 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: at once. It's only when we observe its state that 368 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: a quantum particle is essentially forced to choose one probability. 369 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: And that's the state that we observe al right, So 370 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: so it's essentially a lesson in uncertainty and particle physics 371 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 1: in the quantum world. Right. So here comes Stroinger in 372 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: Austrian physicists, right, and he puts together a thought experience. 373 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: Like thought experiments are often really useful to to to 374 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: illustrate a point and to make something that's a little 375 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: uh hard to grasp a little more concrete, right. And 376 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,199 Speaker 1: then in the point of a fove experiment is not 377 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: to have a solution per se, right, yeah, nor to 378 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: kill cats, but to just sort of make you think 379 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: about it. So in his experiment, he puts a cat 380 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: in a box along with a bit of radio active 381 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: material like and you know, like we're talking about with 382 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: this radioactive container um and a Geiger counter, all right, 383 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: which is a device that measured radiation of course, So 384 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: the the Geiger counter is designed so that if it 385 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: senses the decay of the radioactive material, and all radioactive 386 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:21,680 Speaker 1: material decays, it triggers a hammer, which then breaks a 387 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: flask that contains acid or put poison. Their different versions 388 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: of this. But basically, if if if this radioactivelopment decays, 389 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 1: it triggers something that kills the cat. And so if 390 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: you were to open that box, that that that the 391 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: particles are gonna have to be in one stat or 392 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: the other. The cat is going to be alive or dead. 393 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 1: There's no there's no one between. It's gonna be one 394 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: or the other. Even that that cat has been poisoned, 395 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: hit with a ham or whatever at had acid poured 396 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: on it, or it's fine and just maybe a little 397 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: ticked off that you put it in the thought experiment. 398 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: But but it's unknowable. I mean, essentially it's unknowable, and 399 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: you have to sort of accept that this cat is 400 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 1: in both states, right, and then don't overthink. You can't 401 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 1: listen for the me owing. Yeah, described and if you 402 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: start thinking about the hammer thing and the radioactive decay, 403 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: it's just sort of imagine shorting or as as a 404 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 1: sort of like a peewee of the physicists like creating 405 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: these little contraptions. Yeah, And he also knew that the 406 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 1: more thought he put into actually he also realized that 407 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,160 Speaker 1: the more thought he put into into how the cat 408 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: actually dies, the cree period would be so right. And again, 409 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: no cat died. This was just a thought experiment. But 410 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: why the reason why we're talking about it is that, um, 411 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: you could give a sort of alternative reading about whether 412 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: or not um. This really applies to us in how 413 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: we perceive reality, right, because the cat in this in 414 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: this situation is in a quantum state. It is, it 415 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: is both dead and alive, but it is in both 416 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: states at once until we opened the box and by 417 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: perceiving it, change it. So there's this question, uh consciousness 418 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: of reality? Right? Um, you know, is there an actual 419 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 1: consciousness of reality? Does it only exist until we begin 420 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: to think about it? Um? Or is there just no 421 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: material reality whatsoever? You know I'm talking about here. So 422 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: in terms of like, okay, are we all just linking 423 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: the cat in the box. We're both dead and alive. 424 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: We're both unconscious and conscious until we begin to really 425 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: speculate about life and sort of peel back the layers 426 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,239 Speaker 1: and begin to to investigate what it means to be 427 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: alive or what it means to even be part of 428 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: this physical world. Yeah, does the spain exists if you 429 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: don't know about it? That kind of thing? Exactly make 430 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: a sound in the forest, Yeah, exactly to hear it 431 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: all that you know, it's it's uh it that's That's 432 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: one of the reasons that the Shroder's cat is so 433 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: endearing well, I don't know, endearing it's the word. But 434 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: but it's such a good um so, a good cognitive 435 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: chew toy for everyone because it gets down to a 436 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: lot of of of really um you know, mind rending 437 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 1: philosophical pondering about the state of reality. So you sent 438 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: me this link to this guy named Scott Aaronson, Yes, 439 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: And and he sort of takes this idea not not 440 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: like wholesale, but he applies it to us as automatums, 441 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: right right, Yeah, this guy Scott Aaronson came up with 442 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: this notion presented at this lecture. Uh and and it's 443 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: basically a touring test for free will, turing test being 444 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: something that I aimed at to gauge the intelligence of 445 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: the machine, to see if machines can think on the 446 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: same level as humans. It's also been using a lot 447 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: of sci fi and that. Yeah. And the the main 448 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: question that Turing asked was kim machines think right? This 449 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: was the initial question, and then he sort of threw 450 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: that out and said, you know what, that's not even 451 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: the question. The question is are there imaginable digital computers 452 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: which would do well in the imitation game? Right? Right? 453 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,679 Speaker 1: Like basically he redefined the question in terms that it 454 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: could be actually examined a little closer and tested. Um, 455 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: So Aaronson is is dealing with a similar question, but 456 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: he's he's interested about free will, all right, And it 457 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: also involves super smart computers. And that's when when when 458 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 1: we say super smart computers, that's what we're talking about 459 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: the invitation game, right, right? Okay, So what does this 460 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: test consist stuff? Um? Okay. On the surface, it basically 461 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: means somebody would hand you an envelope, probably a robot 462 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 1: when hands you an envelope like ours, right, and it 463 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: would tell you that. The idea would be, if you 464 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 1: open this envelope, it will tell you what you're thinking 465 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 1: or or saying or doing at a particular point in 466 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: the future. It would be like that. It would be 467 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: like the virginity box if I opened it, however, many 468 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: years later and found a note inside to tell that 469 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: told me exactly where I lost my virginity and how 470 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: and to whom? Oh wow, okay, So then with that, 471 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: and that would be like whoa how did a machine 472 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: know that ahead of time? Clearly I'm if I'm not predictable, 473 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: if I'm that kind of a system that can you 474 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: know it's it's like weather. Right. We build these computer 475 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,159 Speaker 1: models of weather uh and UH and atmospheric systems to 476 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: try and figure out what they're going to do in 477 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,919 Speaker 1: the in the future, and we can only do that 478 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: with a limited amount of of success, with only so 479 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: much accuracy. So could you have data that can continue 480 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: to bring you back into a more accurate system, right? Right? 481 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: So what if we we dipped into something like the 482 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: Blue Brain project, you know, the idea of building a 483 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: working copy, digital copy of the human mind. What if 484 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: a supercomputer was able to build a copy of your 485 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: mind and then by analyzing that copy, that mathematical model 486 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: of you, and then they could accurately plan out the 487 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: rest of your life or anything you could conceivably do, say, 488 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: or think, and then tell you make up this note 489 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: and printed out, hand it to you and say open 490 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: this next Thursday, and I'll tell you what you did. 491 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 1: And this is what Aaronson the same that you could 492 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: do this in a couple of ways, like you could 493 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: continue to do some sort of trial and error process 494 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: where you, uh, you sort of get the landscape of 495 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 1: someone's brain by asking someone a ton of questions and 496 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: then build a model of predictability based upon that, right, 497 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: or you could do something like the Blue Brain project, 498 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: which is a reverse engineering the brain by building a detailed, 499 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: realistic computer model of the human brain and it's one 500 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,400 Speaker 1: trillion synapses. So then you have this, this, this other 501 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: system that is analyzing the way that you think, what 502 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,159 Speaker 1: how your your synapses are firing and what they're responding to. 503 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: So yeah, essentially what Aaronson is saying what is so 504 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: interesting is he's saying, you know, maybe there's not free will. 505 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: You know, maybe there is a certain amount of predictability unpredictability, 506 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: but it's finite, right, It's almost like the cat in 507 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: the box. There are only two choices. There is a 508 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: factor of unpredictability there because it's either dead or alive, 509 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 1: but it's still you know, just these one of two things. 510 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: Right through trial and error there you're going to predict 511 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: or accurately predict eventually what's happening with this cat um. 512 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:10,360 Speaker 1: But I'm not saying that's what it's going to happen 513 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:14,639 Speaker 1: in quantum physics, but in terms of how we begin 514 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 1: to really think about technology and how it's interacting with 515 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: us at a meaningful level as we go forward, Um, 516 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: it does sort of beg the question even more about 517 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: free will. And we've talked about it many times before, 518 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:33,240 Speaker 1: but this this is certainly an interesting proposition that pretty predictable. Yeah, 519 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: and it it comes down to, uh, we keep coming 520 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: back to this idea of at what point does science 521 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: demystify h the human experience and then how do we 522 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: relate to that? And then it tends to to to 523 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: divide into two basic camps. Either it's terrifying or it's deliberating, 524 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: like the idea that that that there that there's no 525 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: free will. Uh, it either means great, there's something maybe 526 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 1: there's there's something in charge where I don't have to 527 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 1: worry about it, there's not, you know, I I don't 528 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: have to get bit on a shape over the over 529 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 1: choices because ultimately there are no choices. Or that's ultimately 530 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: really damning because you're you're thinking, there's no choice in life. 531 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: I'm just this automaton mindlessly following its programs, making the 532 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: same mistakes over and over again, doing the same stuff, 533 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: and there's no change again. And that's why mysteries becomes 534 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: really important again, right, because sometimes that's even more important 535 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 1: than the actual knowledge because that's how you get to 536 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 1: the heart of it. Yeah. I actually in researching this, 537 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: I found a book called and bear with Me that 538 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: The title here is the Triumph of God over Evil 539 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: UM by William Hasker of the University of Edinburgh, and 540 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: it's actually an interesting looking book if anybody would like 541 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 1: to read, like a whole thick book about the theology 542 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: and philosophy of comedy it uh. I think there's a 543 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: little humor in there, but but mostly it's like it's 544 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: Hasker getting really philosophical about what what is what is 545 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: the nature of free will? How does it factor into 546 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: the belief and God? The belief and evil, you know, 547 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: getting into some of the old questions about why would 548 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: God allow evil to exist? And basically he sets out 549 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: to justify the ways of God demand which which always 550 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,439 Speaker 1: works well for for authors. But it looks like an 551 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: interesting book, so if you're into that, check it out. 552 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:17,879 Speaker 1: But he was actually asking the same question with the 553 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: same sort of thought experiment. Imagine somebody handed you an 554 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: envelope and it and you opened it up, and it 555 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: told you what you just thought or said or did, 556 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 1: And he he predicted that pretty much anybody would be 557 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,640 Speaker 1: frustrated and angry and resentful upon opening that envelope. Even 558 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: if you agreed with everything it's said, and there's a 559 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: good chance you would not be happy with what it's 560 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 1: said anyway. But even if you were perfectly fine, you're like, yeah, 561 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: that's me to a t, you probably wouldn't be particularly pleased. Well, no, 562 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,479 Speaker 1: because I mean, we all want to believe that we're unique, 563 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: and essentially I do think that we are. But certainly 564 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: there are some things about humans that are predictable and 565 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: not so unique. Um, which, of course is going to 566 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: bring me to Jedji Abrams. Yes, yeah, of course the 567 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: mystery box thing. Um. He really blew up when he 568 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 1: did that on the internet because he did that, Ted 569 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: talk like a year a year ago. Maybe no, no, 570 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: it's more, maybe more because I don't think lost. Yeah, 571 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 1: And basically he was talking about well he was doing 572 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: a lot of talking, uh, and it was it was 573 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: a little ramble even for me, and you know, because 574 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: I don't have a lot of rooms to talk. But 575 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: but basically his whole point was the idea of the 576 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: mystery box is is so inspiring. He was talking about 577 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: getting this mystery package from a magic store in New York, 578 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: I believe. And and you know some of these, like 579 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: you pay a certain amount, he's probably just got some 580 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: you know, some garbage in it from the magic shops, 581 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: some stuff they couldn't move, and so they just packaged 582 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: it up in this and sold it. But you know 583 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: the Archie McPhee mystery bag. Everybody knows about Archie McPhee. 584 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: Who's Archie mc It's an online uh emporium of all 585 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: things silly and you can get you know, big imbreathments, 586 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. So so hishole Ted Talk, 587 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: which you can you can find easily online Ted Talk, 588 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: J j Abrams and Google search. He was, he was. 589 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: He makes the argument that the the idea of the 590 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 1: mystery box is what stirs human creativity and what really 591 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: uh certainly his own creativity and really um motivates him 592 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: to to create. And you actually sent me a really 593 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: interesting um PDF about curiosity as a memory enhancer. Right, 594 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: So there's this idea that that that it's not just J. 595 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: J Abrams talking about how great it is, and there's 596 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: actually some some research that yeah, yeah, that that you know, 597 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: this this mystery has to be unraveled in our brains. Again, 598 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: like you said, needs a good chew toy, which really 599 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: helps us to learn better into uh, get our noggains engaged. Yeah. 600 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: This particular study was from the California Institute of Technology 601 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: and they did some fm R eyes on people when 602 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: they There are a couple of different like phases of 603 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: this experiment, but people wanted they were reading trivia questions, 604 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 1: creating mixture of high and low creativity UM. They measured 605 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: subjects pupil dilation UH and tested their memory recall and 606 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: U and the fm R I showed the curiosity increases 607 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: activity in memory areas UM, such as the pair of 608 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: hippocampal gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus when subjects 609 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: guests incorrectly, which suggests that curiosity may enhance memory for 610 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: new information. And it's funny too. I was thinking about 611 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: that yesterday. I was working from a coffee shop in 612 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: there was a French tutor with her two students and 613 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: they were kind of like Scraggley, I don't know, maybe 614 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: like thirteen year old boys and uh, you were working 615 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: in like a Madeline children's book. Yesterday, Yes I was. 616 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: I was in Paris and there was a gypsy in 617 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: the corner that was going to kidnap us all. But 618 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: before that there was a French lesson and uh, they 619 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: you could tell the guys were kind of bored. And 620 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: I remember thinking to myself, if they had this context 621 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: of like, okay, this this phrase, this sort of rope 622 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: phrase of like how are you doing today? I love 623 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: this artwork here, you know, these sort of things, we 624 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: might be so much more interesting if their their curiosity 625 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: was piqued, if their imagination was an engaged, if they 626 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: might think that the person that they were talking to 627 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: could be uh, you know, Stephen Hawking or a pretty 628 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: girl or an attractive boy. I don't know, like, you know, 629 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: they're there are different ways I think that we can 630 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: play with the blueprint of our mind in the way 631 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: that we acquire a knowledge. And I thought that was 632 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: so interesting that the curiosity about something really does help 633 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: this this flicker of our um flame of memory, and uh, 634 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, it was exciting to me. I wanted 635 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: to share that with them, but I thought better of it. Yeah, 636 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: well you agree with that, I agree, I agree. So yeah, 637 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 1: mystery boxes. I mean, I'm not going to completely argue 638 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 1: that people should should give empty boxes, you know, And 639 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: it will totally go off the gift registry for things. Um, 640 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 1: but I don't know there's something to be said for 641 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: for giving somebody the gift of a mystery now and again. Okay, 642 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: and so if you really do want to give a 643 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: gift of a mystery, you actually want to put something 644 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: in that box. I do have suggestion. It is a book, 645 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: um called How to Be an Explorer of the World 646 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: Quotable Art Museum by Carrie Smith, and I recommend it 647 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: only because there are all sorts of very interesting thought 648 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 1: experiments in it that, um, I think pique a person's 649 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: curiosity about the physical world, the emotional world and how 650 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: to sort of shift your paradox um a bit. So 651 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 1: if anybody's interested in then they know someone who might 652 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 1: appreciate it. That's my recommendation. All right, Well, speaking of 653 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,719 Speaker 1: mystery boxes, let's call over the robot and see if 654 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 1: we have a quick listener mail to read here. We 655 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 1: should really name this robot one day? Yeah, what is 656 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 1: what is? Uh? She looked like you, Uh, Arnold Schwarzninggger. 657 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: She call it Arnie Arnie. All right, let's see opening 658 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: the folder. Now here's one from Oh, this is an 659 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: app we heard from somebody. Uh. Normally I only read 660 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: the first name, but I did said this individual's last name. 661 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: It's apparently Christmas. Uh and uh. So Christmas rights this 662 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,479 Speaker 1: and says, hi, guys, I love your show. I studied 663 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: fine art once and came across an article which contested 664 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: that separation, anxiety and infants is basically the source of 665 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: all creative activity in humans. This includes religion. Um. The 666 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 1: idea was something like this, as we realize that we 667 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,399 Speaker 1: are not the center of our own universe, that our 668 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: mother is some significant entity, we cope with this trauma 669 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: by projecting on two things like dolls and Teddy bears. 670 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 1: This exectification extrapolates to our belief in deities. I cannot 671 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,320 Speaker 1: remember who wrote this article, and I probably haven't explained 672 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: it very well, but I was hoping you might have 673 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: heard of something like this. Keep up the grade work. 674 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:38,799 Speaker 1: I'm new to podcast, and I tried to tell as 675 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: many of my friends about hs W as I can. 676 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: It's just a HSW being how stuff works. We also say, alright, 677 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:50,240 Speaker 1: I catch people, and I kept myself saying hs debut 678 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: around the office, even though it's exactly the same number 679 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: of stollables as how stuff works. I know, but I 680 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: kind of like it. I feel like we need to 681 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 1: have like hsw you like university, Like it sounds very 682 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: like university. Like yeah, iw. Well, the the idea that 683 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 1: Christmas brings up here, um is I believe we we 684 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: actually he's new to the podcasts. We may not run 685 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: across the ship, but I know we've we've touched on 686 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 1: on the idea of like where does the idea of 687 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 1: God come from? And where does the idea of the 688 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 1: soul come from? I know, is it hard wired in 689 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: our brain? Right? Right? Like the cyber immortality episode that 690 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 1: we did, I feel like we did touch on something that. Yeah, 691 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: but yeah, it's it's fascinating to sort of follow the 692 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: roots of something like that and try and figure out 693 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: where does that actually come from? And we also have 694 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: talked about creativity in the brain is uh, it's just 695 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: something that we've evolved to do. Neuroplasticity the idea that 696 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,879 Speaker 1: we live in this again, in this world of fixed 697 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: and movable objects, we have to navigate it and creativity 698 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 1: is part of that navigation system, right, Neuroplasticity meaning that 699 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 1: we can change our brains to a certain degree. It's 700 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:57,719 Speaker 1: it's it's far actually much more plastic than we thought before, right, 701 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,360 Speaker 1: much more flexible. Our brains are in and of creativity 702 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: again thought experiments. This is a key element if you 703 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:05,840 Speaker 1: want to try to ramp up. So there you go 704 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 1: a little more in the free will exists pile positive 705 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:12,799 Speaker 1: note right, So hey, if you want to share something 706 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: with us, be it your own mystery gift giving ideas 707 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: or something just related to the idea of mystery boxes 708 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:21,400 Speaker 1: in our own perception of reality dropped by the Facebook. 709 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,399 Speaker 1: You can find us on there as stuff to Blow 710 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 1: the mind, or you can find us on Twitter as well. 711 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: We're we're sure to check out our new video podcast 712 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 1: from the Future of the Joint House STUF Work staff, 713 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 1: as we explore the most promising and perplexive possibilities of tomorrow.