
You Actually Share Your Brain With a Silent Stranger
About this video
CGP Grey explains split-brain patients, where severing the corpus callosum lets the two hemispheres act independently. He uses this to explore the idea of two minds in one head.
Why it appears in the archive
HN returns to it constantly in consciousness and decision-making threads as a clear, entertaining explanation of split-brain.
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From the Hacker News discussion
If you just learned that "Split Brain" was thing, I recommend watching this video by GPGrey, one of the best educational channels on YouTube: [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗For mind bending check the great explanation from CGP Grey, "You are two"[1], which argues the two brain hemispheres can operate independently. [1]: [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗Kurzgesagt[0] and CGP Grey[1] did a fun little 2-part intro into "split mindedness" i.e. the idea that we may have multiple consciousnesses(?) contending for control. [0] [LINK] [1] [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗> how can there be two selfs in a single mind. Oh wow, do I have a YouTube video for you: [VIDEO] ( You Are Two , by CGP Grey)
Read original comment ↗This reminds me of two mind-boggling discoveries I’ve had about the human mind. The first is that the two halves of your brain act somewhat independently. And in rare cases, people’s left and right halves are “split” apart, and they act entirely independently - e.g. their left and their right hands will act separately, or even argue with each other. CGP Grey made a great video about this: [VIDEO] The other is that most people have a “voice” inside their head - e.g. when they read, they hear their own voice inside their head reading; their thoughts are like sentences they “hear;” they could look in the mirror have a conversation with themselves. Some ~10% of people do not have this internal monologue. [LINK] [LINK]
Read original comment ↗Every time someone brings up consciousness I like to bring up [VIDEO] . Split brains imply some very interesting ideas around of consciousness.
Read original comment ↗This reminds me of the following quote: "Coding largely involves the 'logical part' of your brain. It tends to not include the 'language part' of your brain. This is one reason why comments you add to code are so useful: they force you to engage both parts of your brain and therefore get better results. This is also why when you go to explain a problem to a colleague, you often have a flash of brilliance and solve the problem: you are reframing the problem using a different part of your brain and the different part of your brain helps solve the problem." I'm sure some readers here will say this is preposterous and there is no such thing as having "two parts of your brain". To them I suggest watching: 1. "You are are two" (about people with their corpus callosum being severed) [VIDEO] 2. "Conscious Ants and Human Hives" by Peter Watts [LINK]
Read original comment ↗You are two [VIDEO] I always come up with good ideas when relaxed, usually when not working on the problem (showering / running). God why are they working us to death?!
Read original comment ↗