Tim Ferriss - David Eagleman

1) David Eagleman discusses the concept of synesthesia, which can be congenital or acquired through hard training or psychedelic drug use, causing people to have a mixture of the senses, such as seeing colors and shapes when listening to music. He also talks about his work on creating new senses for humans, such as a vest with vibratory motors for deaf people that can capture sound and turn it into patterns of vibration on the skin and a wristband that can help people with tinnitus or age-related hearing loss. Eagleman explains that the brain doesn't care how the information gets there as long as it gets there somehow, and the brain will figure out how to use it by making correlations with other senses.

2) David Eagleman explains how a wristband can be used to replace hearing aids, clarifying speech frequencies typically missed by a person's ear. By training the brain to fuse signals from the wristband with the sound frequencies perceived via the ear, people could stop using hearing aids altogether. The wristband produces vibrations in 128 virtual points, and by stimulating neighboring motors at different amplitudes, a virtual point is created, which can help individuals understand which frequency is being spoken.

3) David discusses his interest in sensory expansion and how wearing infrared light has allowed him to tap into different types of data that we usually can’t perceive. Eagleman explains how he has the ability to pick up on heat signatures, which allows him to differentiate between cars that have been parked for an extended period and ones that have recently arrived. He has also collaborated with colleagues to feed data from the internet, including Twitter and stock market data, into wearable devices that allow the wearer to feel their physiological responses, which could potentially lead to people remotely detecting stress levels and mood changes.

4) David discusses various innovative applications for machine learning and sensory augmentation technologies. One potential application is a wristband that utilizes machine learning to help people with autism understand their social context by identifying the emotions of people they are talking to. Another potential application of the technology is for training someone to develop a direct perceptual experience for economic movements worldwide, allowing them to make trading decisions based on intuition. The duo also discussed the complexities and functions of the human brain and how we process information unconsciously.

5) Tim Ferriss and David Eagleman discuss the complexities of memory. Eagleman explains that memory in humans is vastly different from memory in computers, and that even once memories are brought out of cold storage and into the active brain, they are vulnerable to interruption or erasure unless they are successfully reconsolidated. However, emotionally charged memories tend to stick around. The two also discuss how despite the vividness of specific memories, memory is highly fallible and prone to drifting and myth-making, especially over time and as stories are retold.

6) David shares his beliefs on self-reporting studies and how people could be a minimum of 20% off when it comes to diary entries of what they ate. He also talks about his post-doctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute and how he met co-discover of the structure of DNA Francis Crick. Crick had a lot more freedom to spend his time thinking without the typical constraints that other scientists had. Eagleman shares some of the best and worst pieces of advice he has ever been given, including Crick's quote about having multiple ideas. Most of Eagleman's career has been spent on trying to understand how the brain constructs reality.

7) David and Tim discuss the elusive nature of consciousness, including the two main theories about whether it is an emergent property of the brain or a fundamental quality of the cosmos. They also delve into Francis Crick's approach to examining consciousness and his central question of why anything means anything to us. Eagleman mentions that of his 10 unsolved questions of neuroscience, progress has been made in understanding why we dream. However, he doesn't mention a specific question he would choose for an XPRIZE.

8) David discusses how every 90 minutes, animals including humans experience random activity blasted into their occipital lobe, leading to dreams. He explains that despite not having the ability to see, blind people still experience dreams, which involve touch and hearing instead of visuals. They have dreams that involve touch and hearing and spatial awareness. Additionally, Tim Ferriss shares a conversation he had with blind magician, Richard Turner, who has a remarkable spatial sense, despite lacking the ability to see. They also discuss the influences that shaped Eagleman's career.

9) David discusses the major influences that shaped his career trajectory. He talks about two major figures: Montague and Carl Sagan. Montague was his graduate advisor and an all-around outstanding individual in sports and intellect, who pushed him to bring out the best in him despite being a total jerk. On the other hand, Carl Sagan left a lasting impact on Eagleman through watching Cosmos on PBS as a kid, which inspired him to pursue scientific inquiry and ask real questions. Additionally, Eagleman discusses how he ended up in neuroscience. Despite majoring in British and American literature, he had a solid foundation in science and had taken numerous classes in the subject.

10) David shares his experience of facing failure and rejection while trying to get his first book, Sum, published. Despite being rejected by numerous publishers for seven years, Eagleman did not lose his hope. He finally managed to catch the attention of a literary agent and got his book published, which later became an international bestseller, translated into 33 languages, and even turned into two operas. Eagleman also discusses the challenges in the field of neuroscience and how getting into graduate schools has become more competitive than ever, making it tough for students with unconventional trajectories to secure admission.

11) David Eagleman shares his approach to time management with Tim Ferriss: the Lazy Susan Method. The method involves working on different projects until Eagleman feels himself slow down or get stuck, at which point he spins the “lazy Susan” and randomly picks a different project to work on. Eagleman describes his upcoming week, which includes work meetings with his company, lectures, teaching, meetings regarding his book, and recording his podcast. Despite having no free time on his birthday, Eagleman is motivated by the desire to be a good thinker and problem-solver who is not dependent on dogma or external influences.

12) David discusses his productivity method, the "lazy Susan." He explains that he uses the lazy Susan to switch between tasks during long writing sessions at IHOP. However, he also recognizes the importance of blocking out solo time on a regular basis, but finds it challenging due to his many commitments and the irresistible lure of new projects. Eagleman and Tim Ferriss then turn to Eagleman's latest book "Livewired," which explores the concept of infotropism, or the brain's constant reconfiguration to maximize the amount of information it processes. Eagleman uses the example of motion aftereffects to explain how the brain recalibrates itself when it detects a threat or a change in the environment.

13) David discusses the plasticity of the brain and the impact of culture and society on shaping individuals. He also expresses the hope that people will understand the brain's potential for change and how that can impact our lives. In response to a question about what assumptions about the brain may be overturned in the next decade, he suggests that advances in technology will lead to a better understanding of the neural code and a revolution in our understanding of the brain.

14) David emphasizes the beauty of science, stating that its most special aspect is its willingness to "knock down its own walls" and question what we know to be true. He argues that science is always vulnerable to being "knocked off its pedestal", which is the essence of the scientific method. Eagleman also discusses his movement, Possibilianism, which advocates avoiding committing to something with certainty when there is insufficient data. He further argues that fundamental questions, such as our existence, have insufficient data to make definitive conclusions, and thus, researchers should acknowledge the weight of evidence at any given time and not pretend certainty.

15) To help young people question their beliefs and expand their internal models, Eagleman suggests using examples such as Sherlock Holmes as inspiration for being attentive to details and expanding one's knowledge. He also mentions his upcoming book, "Empire of the Invisible," which explores the idea of expanding perception and questioning our own limitations. Tim Ferriss adds that with the popularity of AI and large language models, it may become more mainstream for people to become aware of their own blind spots and limitations.

16) Tim and David discuss their experiences with using ChatGPT to summarize past episodes and how it may not be an all-knowing source of accurate information. They then shift the conversation to a discussion on how to make it seem as though you're living longer. David Eagleman shares his experiment on how perceived time can differ depending on what you're experiencing, and how the trick of memory can make it seem like time is running in slow motion. He also explains that the way to make it seem like you've lived longer is to lay down richer memories by seeking novelty and making emotional connections.