Neuroscientist Beau Lotto Demos the Adaptability of the Mind

Neuroscientist Beau Lotto uses a volunteer to demonstrate how the mind can adapt to changes in perception by hitting a target while wearing prism glasses.

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As we use the tools of science to explore the nature of humanity, we are learning more and more about how our brains function and what motivates our behavior, built-in biases and blind spots.

These fresh insights are interesting scientifically, but they also evoke significant questions about our lived experience. These perspectives challenge our basic assumptions of who we are, both as individuals and as a society.

Beau Lotto is founder of Lottolab, a hybrid art studio and science lab. With glowing, interactive sculpture - and good, old-fashioned peer-reviewed research - he's illuminating the mysteries of the brain's visual system.

[Miramism]

Hmm, am I the only one that totally gets what he is talking about?
This was good....an example, a visual demo of exactly how past experience, and current experience shape our future actions....very very interesting, entertaining and very informative. Thank you.

[Primalxbeast]

This really does work, but you need a little more practice time and it's far more impressive when you experience it yourself.
Wonderworks in orlando had a little basket set up about 5-6ft away from where you stand and a pair of these glasses and after a few minutes throwing the ball with the glasses on, you do learn to get it, and it's wierd when you take the glasses off and can't hit the basket anymore.

[StephenDeagle]

That guy just relived every past traumatic gym class experience he'd ever endured condensed into about 4 minutes on a stage before the whole world. Poor guy.

[wojovox]

There will errors in all experiments, but we extract the tendency, not the exceptions.

[Rarae]

Probably would have been better to have thrown it overarm, or get a softball player to throw it.

[stNightingale]

Nothing wrong with this video just could have picked a better example but the example still proved true.

[eyallev]

for science! next time, don't click on a ted link.

[eyallev]

next time, get a black guy to throw it (now is that a "bad" or a "good" kinda of a raciest comment?)

[Anthrage]

I'm sorry, but that was absolute nonsense, Not the science, but the demonstration...

[Extreme__Sitting]

Completely failed concept demonstration.