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 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Works dot Com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. Julie, 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: what do you want to happen to your brain when 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 1: you die? Oh? You know what I would really love? 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: What's that? I would love if someone would pack it 7 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: away in tupperware and take it on a road trip. 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: But only forty years after I'm dead and gone. Yeah, alright, 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: because why not? I mean, my brain might want to 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: see the Grand Canyon again, like purple ble tupperware like 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: purple you know how they would do the like it. 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: I mean I've just heard that back in the day 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: when they would do like tple tup aware parties. Like 14 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: one of the whole proofs that you would um that 15 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: you would put the tup aware through is the typeware 16 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: can be burped like somethingn do with like air escaping 17 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: the tupperware where you kind of go like you make 18 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: it open the lid like it's a little mouth and 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: it goes somehow. That's very fifties and tomato aspect and 20 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: burping tupperware very fifty stuff, because there's I mean, there's 21 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: a good reason why we're talking about that, right, because 22 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: we were talking about Albert Einstein's brain other. Yeah, and 23 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: not only all the weird things that happened to it 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: after it was done being Eidenstein, but also about some 25 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: of the really interesting stuff that we've learned from it 26 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: about everyone's brain, not just about his. Uh and you 27 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: know what was unique about it, because ultimately it wasn't 28 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: like super unique. It was a human brain. It's not 29 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: like they cut open his skull and found like a 30 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: little crab monster that flew here on a saucer and no, no, 31 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: but his long strange journey of his brain actually ended 32 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: up or it is contributing to the conversation about what 33 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: is genius. It really did end up illuminating some aspects 34 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: of Genius four, which is pretty exciting stuff because he 35 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: was undoubtedly a genius. Man was brilliant, no doubt, kind 36 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: of a klutz been in some respects, but but a genius. 37 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: Love the lays, but what are you gonna do? So 38 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: so yeah, he uh, after after he contributed so much 39 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: to the world, Um, he died and he just wanted 40 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: to be left alone in death, right, So yeah, supposedly 41 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: that was his His big request is like, just cremate me, 42 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: throw my ashes somewhere secrets, because I don't want people 43 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: worshiping my grave. I don't want, you know, any didn't want. Yeah, 44 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: don't deify me. I'm just Einstein. Um let me be. 45 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: So he's seventy six. He dies of a burst ortic aneurysm, 46 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: and the autopsy is performed by a guy, a pathologist 47 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: by the name of Dr Thomas Harvey. Alright, so Harvey 48 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: mostly kept to Einstein's wishes. He you know, he performed 49 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: his duties. But he I guess he's looking down at 50 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: that table and he's looking at that that big skull. 51 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: He wasn't even that big, just that average looking skull 52 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: of Einstein's, and he was like, you know, it is 53 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: a shame to let a good brain go to wet 54 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: and it's not uncommon to remove the brain during an outopsy. Right, 55 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, can see how it's sitting out there on 56 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: the table and he just cannot help him. Yeah, Like 57 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: I see him like about to put it back in. 58 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: It's in his hand, you know, dripping, and he's like, 59 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: this is this is an important I mean, this is 60 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: his all argument is that this is scientifically an important brain. 61 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: This is a specimen that needs to be preserved, not 62 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: turned into ashes and hidden away. I should put this 63 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: in a tuppleware um container and uh and and save 64 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: it and and let allow it to be studied for 65 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: the good of science, for the good of science. Of course, 66 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: Einstein's family did not agree, but nonetheless, the Harvey's heart 67 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: took it. Yeah, and he stuck to his guns, even 68 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: though we got fired for it too, right. Yeah, And 69 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: there was apparently later our right rage when it was 70 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: revealed that another person, presumably at the same the same location, 71 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: removed removed Einstein's eyeballs as a souvenir, which is even 72 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: creep here, and I think a little harder to justify. Yeah, 73 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: I think I've seen those pop up on eBay that 74 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: the eyeball. I can't say, you can't authenticate it, but yeah, 75 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: you do wonder what happened to those eyeballs. So yeah, 76 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: I mean this is this is the beginning of what 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: would be a very strange journey for Einstein's brain. Right. Yeah, 78 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: It's kind of like Weakened at Bernie's, except with just 79 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: this dude in a brain in a tup aware driving 80 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 1: around the country at one point and doing stuff like 81 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: apparently Harvey's former neighbor was, uh, you know a famous 82 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: writer of you know, like Naked Lunch and uh, you 83 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: know William pretty well known heroin addict that William S Burrows. Yeah. Yeah, 84 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: And so they went to see Williams Burrows. So it's 85 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 1: like I'm pictured him like setting around like playing a 86 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,799 Speaker 1: backgammon or something, and it's it's william S Burrows Harvey. 87 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: And then this tup aware with Einstein's brain in it. Yeah. 88 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: In just to back up a little bit, Thomas Harvey 89 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: did try to do the right thing in in his 90 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: mind right, and he uh, for for years, for something 91 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: like forty years, he would send a little samples off 92 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: to other neuroscientists because in mayonnaise jars, in mayonnaise jars, 93 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: because he felt like there was something that could be found, 94 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: and for years nothing was found. In fact, people were like, 95 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: you know what, stop sending me this, because you know, 96 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: what we're discovering here is that Einstein's brain doesn't look 97 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: unique to us. In fact, it's a little bit smaller 98 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: than the average brain. Um, they didn't see much that 99 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: would tell them that that this, you know, some sort 100 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: of markers of genius until he sent off in the 101 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: Mannad's Jar, uh, four sections of Einstein's brain, the most 102 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: that he had ever sent off to neuro researcher by 103 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: the name of Marion Diamond. So she requested this and 104 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: three years later, because you know, he's on it, he's 105 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: he's on a road trip. It's going to take him 106 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: a while, that the Manna's Jar arrived. And this was 107 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: a really big moment um for for science really but 108 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: still and we'll get to it um. You know, it 109 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 1: didn't become abundantly clear at first how significant this brain 110 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: to she was and what Marian Diamond found was so again, 111 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: Einstein was a genius. But what is a genius? What 112 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: makes genius is something you're you're born with the genius 113 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: brain or do you or does it come from like 114 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: having the right genius inspiring uh, you know nursery activity, Yes, 115 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 1: it acquired or is that inherent? Um? And according to 116 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: neuro researcher Douglas Fields, genius is kind of a grab 117 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: bag of genetic and environmental factors. But then you you 118 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: hear from people like Dean Keith Simonton and he says 119 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: attributes like your mental energy and your openness to new 120 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: experiences is genetic um. It's something you can cultivate, right, 121 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: like the sense of being open to new experiences. But 122 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: if if you're sort of born with this attribute, then 123 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: you're a lot more predisposed to go out and explore 124 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: new ideas and experiences. And we already know that when 125 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: you do that, you're putting your brain through the paces 126 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: and you're effectively increasing the white matter in your brain. 127 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: And turns out white matter is is really important stuff, right, 128 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: and uh, to to to settle exactly what he is 129 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: white matter and what is gray matter, because that we've 130 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: all heard gray matters used to just sort of a 131 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: generic term for your brain, like like to start using 132 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: your gray matter there, exercise your gray matter a little, 133 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: and you never hear white matter, of right, and in 134 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: fact white matter. Some people have made the analogy that 135 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: white matter to scientists has been like dark matter to 136 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: astrophysicists or a cosmologists, and that for so many years 137 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: white matter just was completely unknown. We didn't really know 138 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: what the deal was with white man. We know it's there, 139 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: but we don't really know what it is. Just cottage 140 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: cheese or what. Yeah, no, it turns out, is not 141 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: cottage cheese, yogurt goat cheese. I wonder if the zombie 142 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: would prefer the white or the gray or is it 143 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: like is it like a white and dark meat in turkey? Well, 144 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: it depends, it depends. Um, I've never heard this this 145 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: this post before. That's a good question. Let's let's answer 146 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: that at the end of this podcast. Let's perclate on that. 147 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: Let's let's not steer completely off of course. Another way 148 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: of thinking about gray matter that I ran across was 149 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: a scientific American had had this a bit where they 150 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: were comparing it to soil. They said, the gray matter 151 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,239 Speaker 1: is and this is you know where a mental computation 152 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: takes plays, memories are stored. Um, this cortex is the 153 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: top soil of the brain, all right, densely packed neuron 154 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: all cell bodies, decision making making parts of the nerve 155 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: cells or neurons. Underneath it, you have the bedrock and 156 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,239 Speaker 1: this is the white matter. And this feels nearly half 157 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: the human brain. And and this is a really important 158 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: thing that we'll discuss here in a minute, is that 159 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: this is a far larger percentage than found in the 160 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: brains of other animals like humans are really packing the 161 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: white matter. If they are packing the white matter and 162 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: the Yeah, the white matter consists of bundles of long 163 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: nerve fibers and they conduct electrical signals between nerve cells 164 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 1: and they connect different parts of the brain together. So 165 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: it's really important to remember that because within the the 166 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: white matter or something called glial cells, and we'll talk 167 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: about that, but again, Einstein's brain contributed to our understanding 168 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: today which is not even complete of what white matter 169 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: is and what glial cells are and why they're really 170 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: important to of genius or just even intelligent thought. UM. 171 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: I did want to say that that Rex Young he 172 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: is uh he is. I believe that he's a psychologist, 173 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: and he said that highly creative people usually have less 174 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: white matter integrity and less brain tissue in the frontal lobes. 175 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: And this is important to remember because when they looked 176 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: at Einstein's brain, they saw this correlated in there and 177 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: they say this could be UM disinhibiting, causing a down 178 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 1: regulation of the decision making judging center of the brain. 179 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: So we've talked about this before in a podcast about creativity. 180 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: Is that you kind of have to be able to 181 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: shut off that part of your brain that is saying no. Basically, 182 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: there have been some some situations where the the inhibiting 183 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: section of the brain becomes injured or diseased, and you 184 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: see at what may seem like a burst of creativity, 185 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: but it's really sort of like the creativity is suddenly 186 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: unchecked by this inhibition. So it's not it's like column 187 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: A doesn't increase, but column B decreases. That's right, that's right. 188 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: And so it's important to know that if you have 189 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: you know, white cells packed in one area, that's probably 190 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: pretty great. Like Enstein had a ton of them in 191 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: the area that correlates with mathematics, but not so much 192 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: in the frontal loope. Right, So this allowed him to 193 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: perhaps turn off that part of his brain that might 194 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: have made him feel, uh, you know, preoccupied with other 195 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: thoughts and allowed you know, this other part of his 196 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: brain to to computate at crazy levels, like to to 197 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: to just throw out like sort of genius stereotypes. Like 198 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: if you have like the type of person who forgets 199 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: to sleep or forgets to bathe because they're like so 200 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,199 Speaker 1: into figuring something out, Like that's a situation where the 201 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: natural voice that comes in and says, hey, maybe we 202 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: should put this away in bathe, or maybe we should 203 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: put this away and get back to the other aspects 204 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,079 Speaker 1: of our life that are important, like that that voice 205 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: is diminished. Is the laundry list choice? Yeah? Yeah, absolutely, 206 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: And um, this was interesting. Some of this came out 207 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: of a panel that I saw at in New York 208 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: at the World Science Festival and was called the Enigma 209 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: of Genius, and artist Julie Tamer was on the panel 210 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: along with some of the other folks that we were 211 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: talking about today. Described to me who Julie tam she 212 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: is responsible for, like the Lion King, that's probably something 213 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: you know on Broadway that a lot of people know. 214 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: It's incredible puppetry, all of that. Um, what she's interpreted 215 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: a lot of Shakespeare works. Um, Titus is one she 216 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: you know for film and for for Broadway. But she 217 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 1: has a very unique vision, and so she's gotten the 218 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: MacArthur Genius Grant. She's someone who a lot of people 219 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: feel like have has changed her field. Okay, cool, Yeah, 220 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: I think some of her lanking designs were on display 221 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: at the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts a few years back. Yeah, 222 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: and and she was sort of saying, well, you know, 223 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: I'm hesitant to to, you know, call myself a genius 224 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:47,719 Speaker 1: or even define genius. But what she was saying is 225 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: that in her own creative process, she finds that some 226 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: of her best ideas come from early morning sleep. Um, 227 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: and it was interesting. I think it was Douglas Fields 228 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: who was on the panel, uh that the scientists who said, oh, well, 229 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: that is when in the frontal lobes are actually less active. 230 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: So again we're seeing this correlation with frontal lobes disinhibiting 231 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: and the percolating of ideas happening. And we're seeing that 232 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: Einstein had this this low white matter in the frontal lobe. 233 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: So that's why you inevitably have that dream that is 234 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: either so awesome that you wish could keep going or 235 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: it is so horrible that you're like, thank goodness, I 236 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: actually woke up from that, Because that's the time when 237 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 1: the inhibition shuts down in creativity is more likely to 238 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: just completely slam you with something unbelievable. Yeah, and I 239 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: don't have this confirmed, but I have I've heard before 240 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: that you tend to dream a lot more in the 241 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: early morning hours anyway, so it makes sense that you 242 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: know you would remember those dreams. But um, but again 243 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: you know, frontal lobes dimmed down, so you can perhaps 244 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: have your best ideas then, but we should probably get 245 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,479 Speaker 1: back to white matter any fales, right, Um, so sciences 246 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: that you're my my white matter was just causing me 247 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: to just go off and forget the time time table 248 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: here and yeah, you're about to compose a high who 249 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: I can tell it was all about like glial self. 250 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,719 Speaker 1: I saw you notating it there, um And so okay, 251 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: back to Einstein's brain. It's been hanging out for forty 252 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: plus years at this point. He quit traveling in UH 253 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: nine five. He died in nineteen forty I think is 254 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: when excuse me, forty years later he had his big 255 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: road trip ninety six. Yeah, he moved back to New 256 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: Jersey and he surrenders the remaining pieces of Einstein's brain. 257 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: He the pathologist Thomas Hartrty to Dr Elliott Krauss. Yeah, 258 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: and this is because his road trip was was not 259 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: really effective, because what he was attempting to do in 260 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: this road trip is to deliver back the brain to 261 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: Einstein's granddaughter Evelyn, who was not interested in it. So yes, 262 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: it returned back to Princeton um and Thomas Harvey actually 263 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: died in two thousand and seven ruling not even understanding 264 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: you know that, but what he did indirectly did have 265 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,599 Speaker 1: some bearing on how we understand genius today. Well, he 266 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: hung on the brain for that long. I suspect he 267 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: really clung to the notion that what he was doing 268 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: was a good thing. So yeah, absolutely did Yeah. Uh. 269 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: So many scientists at this point they've tinkered with the 270 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: tissue from mind sciins brain, and most of them have 271 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: done it under a microscope, which isn't telling us a 272 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: whole lot um And historically neuro anatomous found no clues 273 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: to to his his brain right again, his brain to 274 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: the naked eye look like everybody else's because this is 275 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: the thinking to wear white matter. I don't know what 276 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: it's doing, but gray matter. That's where the neurons, the 277 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: neurons are. He doesn't have any more neurons than anybody 278 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: else's what they're what they're looking at. And this is 279 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighties, and scientists still believe that, um, you know, 280 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: at this point when they're tinkering around with it. Uh, 281 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: scientists still believe the important work in the brain is 282 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: done by neurons. Right. These are the powerhouses. These are 283 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: the brains of the brain, and they're out there doing 284 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: you know, specific things, um and mary and diamond. Again, 285 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: she observes a disproportionately high number of brain cells. There 286 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,239 Speaker 1: are not neurons. They're there again what they're called glia, 287 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: which means glue. Wow, And we will get to that 288 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: glib right out this quick. Right. That's right. This presentation 289 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: is brought to you by Intel sponsors of tomorrow. All right, 290 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: back to the glue, back in the glue goog. Yeah. 291 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: So this glue, this glia is found in regions of 292 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 1: Einstein cerebral cortex, which is involved in complex reasoning, mathematics 293 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: and imagery. And so she's seeing that like highly densely 294 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: packed glial cells. And so this shifts the focus from 295 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: neurons to glia, and it really upends the fundamental understanding 296 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: of how the brain works because heretofore we thought that 297 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: the glial cells were basically just the custodians of the brain. 298 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: They were clearing away like dead matter essentially, which is 299 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: like oversimplification of it um and they didn't seem to 300 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: have any electrical impulses. And it's not entirely crazy to 301 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: the idea to think that the brain isn't like a 302 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: perfect design because I've heard it the you know that 303 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: there might be something there that is kind of useless, 304 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: Like because I've heard it proposed before that the brain 305 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: is kind of like an evolutionary ice cream cone where, um, 306 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: each level of evolution it's just a new scoop of 307 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: ice cream cortex because evolution. Not to personify too much 308 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: is kind of lazy. It's gonna work with what it's got. 309 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: It's and it's not gonna I'm really personifying like nuts here. 310 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: But but but you get the idea. It's the process 311 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: is not going to go back and fine tune everything. Um. 312 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: So it's it's it's not ridiculous to think that the 313 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: white matter wouldn't be doing anything and at the time 314 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: that that was flying right and it was okay, the 315 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: white matter it must be helping out the neurotransmitter, right 316 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: and and just keeping things clean. Um. But glial cells 317 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: do communicate, not through synapses, but through gap junctions. That's 318 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: found there's protein channels that connect one cell to one 319 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: another like a spaceship talking at the mother station. Okay, 320 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: but it's non electric communication. Well, they it's they still 321 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,400 Speaker 1: don't know everything about glia yet. UM, So I'm hesitant 322 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: to to say that in any certain terms. UM, but 323 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 1: I will say that, you know, in the nineteen nineties, 324 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: you had to two or excuse me, new techniques that 325 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 1: emerged from the development of lasers and personal computers grafted 326 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: it onto microscopes to better visualize the way that glia behave. Uh. 327 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: And then that's when Douglas Fields and other folks began 328 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: to describe the glia as the other brain at work, 329 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: because they were seeing that these brain cells that actually 330 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: were communicating with each other, and they were actually not 331 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 1: just communicating with each other at eavesdropping on neural cells. Right, So, Uh, 332 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: glia actually sense electrical activity in the neural circuits and 333 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: they can control it. And Field says that if glia 334 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 1: can do this, and it's not unreasonable to assume that 335 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: they are one of the reasons for the extraordinary capability 336 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 1: of the human brain, and ignoring them until now might 337 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: help explain why the cellular basis for a genius has 338 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: remained elusive. So what we're talking about here is that 339 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: the glial cells are giving you the sort of supercharged 340 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: um ability to communicate with the rest of your brain. 341 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: So it's really it's sort of like the motor of 342 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: the sort of like the engine of the car. It 343 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: provides the processor speed for yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So 344 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: in fields book The Other Brain, he says, here are 345 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: cells that can build the brain of a fetus, direct 346 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: the connection of its growing axons to wire up the 347 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 1: nervous system, repair it after it's injured, release neurotoxic or 348 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 1: neuroprotective factors, plug and unplug synapses, give birth to neowe neurons, 349 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: communicate with the vascular and immune systems, insulate the neuro 350 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: neural lines of communication, and control the speed of impulse 351 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: traffic through them. And some people ask could these cells 352 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: have anything to do with higher brain function? How could 353 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: they possibly not? But it's just how he said it. Okay, yeah, 354 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: So it's important to us though, because what they've discovered 355 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: is that glial cells are there, they continue to form 356 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: until like greatly to a certain degree, until you're okay, 357 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: So what is this point to that you need to 358 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: use those You need to grow these cells when you 359 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: have a chance. Yes, And that it's not it's not 360 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 1: just that you are born with a brain and there's 361 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: your brain. It means that your brain is developing rapidly 362 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: still up until you're twenty. But essentially that everything, all 363 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: the experiences, everything that you're doing until h twenty are 364 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: really going to highly determine this sort of brain that 365 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: you have for the rest of your life. But and 366 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: it doesn't even stop there. But we're just saying that 367 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: the bulk of the brain is being developed. Wow, So 368 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: I dare say, are under twenty listeners are doing exactly 369 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: the right thing by listening to this podcast right now? Yeah? Yeah, 370 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: And I mean this that's the other thing. You know. 371 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: I hope that you're playing chess. I hope that that 372 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: your mathlete um, you know. I hope that that you're 373 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: you're messing around with music, because these are again, all 374 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: these things, all these paces that you're putting your brain through, 375 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 1: all these new experiences, are really helping to shape what 376 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 1: your brain is wants to be, yes, yeah, or what 377 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: you wanted to be really yeah, just throw some stuff 378 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,959 Speaker 1: at it, see what sticks and d open to new exactly. 379 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's all about like I mean, it's 380 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: kind of like beliefs. Try believing something new every day, 381 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, learn about learn about something new every day 382 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: to find out about the different system and don't like 383 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: close your mind off to different visions of you know 384 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,640 Speaker 1: what reality consists? Up? That's right, because I mean you 385 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: can actually see it. Um you know this, this sort 386 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: of this transformation take place in your brain. You see 387 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: new pathways being created. How cool? Is that? Cool? Now? 388 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: What happened now? After twenty though it's not necessarily it's 389 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: not closes because I know that the over twenty listeners 390 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 1: are like, well, great, what am I doing? Waste of 391 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: my time? And they like switch off and go straight 392 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: to I don't know whatever you listen to if you 393 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: don't want to learn anything, Um, I don't. Yeah, just silent. 394 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: That's just like Islands silence. No, I think it's not 395 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 1: Kardashian Kardashians. Yeah, not to be conclude fused with Kardassians 396 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: right from the start from Star Trek. No, yes, exactly. Yeah, 397 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 1: because I was talking with some people the other day, 398 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: what if there was a show meet the Cardassians. Surely 399 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: somebody has done a periody of that already. But anyway, 400 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: for over twenty, white matter over twenty, Yes, hope for 401 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: the future for people with brains that are older than 402 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: twenty because white matter continues to develop into our forties. 403 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 1: I get past forty, so you know, over the hill 404 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:33,120 Speaker 1: not so much. Recent studies showed up versus teaching juggling 405 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: to healthy adults, showed that learning the new skill caused 406 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: white matter changes. So just just juggling alone and healthy 407 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: adults can can you know, so continue to exercise your brain, 408 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 1: you know, because you can still beef it up, That's right. 409 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: And we've talked about neural plasticity before too, and we 410 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: just keep learning more and more about this, and I 411 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 1: think this is the important takeaway with this well as well, 412 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:57,400 Speaker 1: is that we still don't know everything about the brain. 413 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 1: We've talked about the Blue Brain Project, trying to map 414 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 1: the human in brain, trying to figure out, you know, 415 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: the seat of consciousness, all these really exciting cool things 416 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: that are happening. And just recently we saw an article 417 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 1: about how they're using skin cells to turn into brain cells. 418 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, this was this is a pretty awesome idea. Yeah, 419 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,199 Speaker 1: And and I mean basically what they're trying to do 420 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,199 Speaker 1: is treat Parkinson's with us. But I mean the the 421 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: idea is that you could apply this to other areas 422 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: in the brain and actually help to repair, as you know, 423 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: parts of the brain that have been damaged. Yeah, and 424 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: it also really turns the whole question on its head 425 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: that we've asked before, like what happens what's it like 426 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: to have a three hundred, four hundred year old brain? 427 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: And and if we could live to be nine, like 428 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: we discussed in nine nine nine birthday candles, if you 429 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: could live to be eight hundred years old, would you 430 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: have like this cranky old eight hundred year old brain 431 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: in your you know, your your nice young body? Why 432 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: would I U? Why would I juggle your kids with juggling? 433 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: And you know you just set on a bunch of 434 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: money and hate everything. But non possibly not, because if 435 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: you could continue to um to liven up the your 436 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: white matter, um, you could continue to have this uh, 437 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: this changing brain. You can continue to have near plasticity, 438 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,400 Speaker 1: you know, well into your eight hundreds at least, right, 439 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: which makes that proposition a lot be all right? Right, 440 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: when we talked about the downside about this is that 441 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 1: you know, of course you've talked about all sort of becoming, 442 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: you know, Charlie Sheen's at some point we're all too 443 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: given to our demons like I will become a horrible 444 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: person and live forever. No yeah, yeah, no, and he's 445 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: going to pull through. Okay, But but I mean the 446 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: point is is that, you know, if this technology bears 447 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: some fruit, and even if it's you know, longevity of 448 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,959 Speaker 1: another fifty years, it's great to know that we have 449 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,639 Speaker 1: these things that are at our fingertips. They're strying to 450 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: developed and actually help us live healthily, minded and literally 451 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: at our fingertips. Because yeah, there you go, nicely done. 452 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: All right. Well, Einstein's brain, um, which is not currently 453 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:04,679 Speaker 1: on the road, but hopefully it'll go on to her 454 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: against it. Yeah yeah. And zombies, what do you did 455 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: you ever make a decision on them about great gray 456 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,239 Speaker 1: meat versus white meat? I don't know. I just don't know. 457 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: Generally they don't seem to be that concern. But I 458 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: bet they're, like, I've explored the idea, there's some and 459 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 1: they're going to be particular about it. Yeah, they'll sit 460 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: around and critique the glia cells. Yeah cool. Well, I 461 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: have some listener mail here. Um, let's see which one 462 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 1: I want to read. You know these look good? Okay, Um, 463 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 1: here's one from Timothy. He says, hello, stuff to blow 464 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: your mind crew, that's us. During your iPod People podcast, 465 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: you had mentioned briefly how repetitive music can help during writing. 466 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: This used to be my experience during high school in 467 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: college when I would pocket my discmand remember those and 468 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,439 Speaker 1: play trance music during chores. It would cause me to 469 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: enter the altered state you described where I would tune 470 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: out and go and go, and to quote autopilot, the 471 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,479 Speaker 1: real life would become a dream like background in my thoughts. 472 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: I found that my most creative thinking would occur at 473 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 1: these times, and I often find myself stopping to run 474 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: off and scribble down my thoughts. Unfortunately, like a really 475 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: good dream, the written version usually lost something in translation. Incidentally, 476 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: at my current job as a digital artist, I've been 477 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 1: known to have a similar experience during your your podcast. 478 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: I'm a science and philosophy nuts, so I'd love to 479 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: hear a podcast about cellular automata, the holographic principle, or 480 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: the EPR paradox. Thanks, we will add those, sup, We'll 481 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: check it out. Uh. Well, that's awesome. I love I mean, 482 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: I especially love the idea that that people can listen 483 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: to what we're discussing. If some of these ideas were 484 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: bringing up and then turn that into something else, uh, 485 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,159 Speaker 1: you know, creatively. Uh oh yeah. I always feel like 486 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: each podcast has, you know, possibilities with fiction, blank and age. 487 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,919 Speaker 1: You can't take you pretty much any of this. And 488 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: I think there's actually is there a film or a 489 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 1: book about Einstein's branding on the road. Um, I don't know. 490 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: I don't know that it's nonfiction, but if if anybody 491 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 1: hasn't been there is, there is a nonfiction version for sure. 492 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,640 Speaker 1: But for fiction, I don't know. I just keep thinking 493 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 1: the idea of it, like being put into a robot 494 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,439 Speaker 1: like in RoboCop too, where they had the brain and 495 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 1: the big machine that battles robocops. But but he wouldn't 496 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: be battling robocot naturally, he'd be womanizing and working on relativity. Yeah. Um, 497 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: well cool, let's see, do we have anything else to 498 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: read here? Yes? Here's another one from Alex. Alex says, 499 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: I was recently introduced to your podcast by my best 500 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 1: friend as well as my sister, who both swore to 501 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: me that if I had a podcast, it would be 502 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 1: like this one. I travel a lot for work and 503 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:47,640 Speaker 1: haven't seen many of my friends and months and haven't 504 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 1: seen my family since Thanksgiving, but in the last month 505 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,919 Speaker 1: I have downloaded well over a hundred podcasts podcasts podcast 506 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 1: from you as well as your friends at How Stuff 507 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: Works UH and Stuff Missed in History, and spent hours 508 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: listening intently, a couple of times actually taking notes. Though 509 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 1: none of you ever got to hear me responding to 510 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: you in my car, hotel or my tiny coach seat. 511 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: I get strange looks now more than ever. I feel 512 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 1: like we would get along if you could uh. Though 513 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: the majority of my time is spent alone and away 514 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: from home, during the last few weeks, I've begun to 515 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: feel like I have friends with me wherever I go. 516 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 1: Thank you all for your company and your appreciation for 517 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: obscure knowledge. Your friend Alex ps, you two have the 518 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: best intro music. Look at that there was this great 519 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: stuff for everybody with an ear shot. I know that. 520 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: Yeah r music. Yeah, thanks Alex cool. So Hey, if 521 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: you guys have stuff you want to share with us, 522 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: especially if you have any thoughts. I don't know if 523 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:44,959 Speaker 1: you have a chunk of mine Stun's brain in your 524 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: house in a Manna's jar of a lot of more 525 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: sent out maybe you do, um, but no any any 526 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: thoughts you have about the continued development of your own 527 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,680 Speaker 1: brain or the brains of those around you, UH let 528 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:57,160 Speaker 1: us know. You can share it with us on Facebook 529 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: or Twitter. We are blow the Mind on both of those, 530 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: and you can also drop us a line at blow 531 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: the Mind at how stuff works dot com. Be sure 532 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,400 Speaker 1: to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 533 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore the most 534 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.