The magic of consciousness with Daniel Dennett

Streaming video - 2014

What is consciousness? Why does it remain a mystery? In the magic of consciousness, Daniel Dennett takes your students on a fascinating journey backstage, behind the minds curtain, to reveal the inner workings of the magic show we call consciousness- and why it evolved. Setting his stage with "the problem of consciousness," Dennett illuminates how human biases have, for centuries, insisted that consciousness must be irreducibly mysterious--like "real" magic. Of course, "real" magic refers to magic which does not really exist and can not really be performed. Now, using evolutionary and cognitive science as his canvas, Dennett illustrates why understanding consciousness means understanding the "stage-magic&q...uot; of the mind -- the kind of magic that actually does exist and is not so "magical" after all. The kind of magic performed by a magician- the human brain. Drawing on everything from neuroscience to the world of art, Dennett reverse-engineers the stage magic of the mind: from the experience of deja vu, to magic tricks and optical illusions. In doing so, Dennett powerfully demonstrates that once we begin to see how the brain creates "illusions" we can begin to imagine how it creates consciousness. This exclusive presentation for the classroom by Daniel Dennett will provoke, entertain, and inspire your students to think about The magic of consciousness in entirely new ways. One of the most provocative thinkers on the planet -- Chet Raymo, The Boston Globe. more