What's harder to understand, a human brain or the universe?

The human brain is immensely complex, containing more connections than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. At the 2016 World Science Festival, physicist Brian Greene and neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis discussed why scientists have a better handle on our vast universe than on the three-pound organ inside a human's head--and what role that organ plays in creating the universe it seeks to understand.

Original Program Date: June 2, 2016
PARTICIPANTS: Brian Greene, Joanna Kaczorowska, Pablo Lavandera, Miguel Nicolelis, Leon Wieseltier

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[LinuxPenguin]

imagine creating one single word or equation which explains every single thing that exist, every single action, every single thought .

[kenmendeja]

The brain is so much complex.... It was more beyond than just an organ.... I believe that the Brain has the copy of the Universe itself, and it has its greatness, even though we have it, we have full understanding about it... But surely, the brain as an organ has its limits... The Universe is expanding, and then we haven't yet has come to define in its full wonder... Universe and Brain are both
not understandable and hard to explain.

[santiagorubio]

Everything that is out there is in here

[ViceZone]

Our understanding of the universe will always be limited by the complexity of our brain. The complexity of the universe is perhaps infinite.

[Nonamelol.]

The universe is a reflection of what goes on inside your head.

[vijayakrishna]

The day we understand our brains is not going to be the day we understood it.

[TinSpy]

Humans: a brain telling it self if it could understand itself

[Danny-jzmj]

Well the human brain the internet and the universe all have similar networking systems. Not to mention that a rat for example sees the universe in a different way than we do. But you also profile if you want to figure out someone's decisions as nothing really is chosen/random in our brains.

[MrKydaman]

The universe is an enormous body of of interacting matter and energy. The brain is no different simply on a smaller scale. Both are systems created by nature performing their natural activities.

[baronteddyvonforsthoffer]

Are we a sum of all our parts? Or is there a singularity? Is there such a thing as a singularity?

[stevegovea]

Could the argument for which is more complex be won for the brain would be because we would have to explain what consciousness is. The universe isn't a conscious entity.

[gertytk]

The universe outside of Earth, as far as we know, is extremely simple compared to us. Just empty space, then matter and balls of gas. There are gigantic things out there, but they are very simple. It seems like universe's complexity is very tightly concentrated to our very, very little planet.

The brain can aknowledge the universe, but the universe can't aknowledge the brain.

[platosocrates]

The brain is just a part of the universe, my friend.

[Vato.]

I certainly agree with Miguel, look calmly to the sky and u can tell by yourself what is the most understandable thing that u able to see, u unable to understand what is beyond you and your own brain. The theory that belongs to the famous physicist Albert Einstein is such helpful, but it can`t tell what is the universe purpose of life, like i say.

[china_sickness]

I don’t understand how someone who studies the complexity of the brain doesn’t question the theory of evolution. As a scientist you should look at both sides of the spectrum before you just say one thing or the other

[anandita]

There is no way to Know The Universe ..but
If the People Really Interesting in This Subject. . Try to Know your Brains. .start Meditation For
30 Minutes Everyday .☺

[simppuful]

Human brain and universe are both very frail and sensitive, and in the same time hard and resistant. If universe got a trauma it effect like human brain that got a trauma. It goes mad. Or fall in coma.

[davidwalker]

We humans have evolved to have a fixed mindset that tells us everything must have a beginning and an end. But imagine if you can that the universe has no beginning and has always existed I bet you can not mentally process that concept. No one can. So we look for an explanation to the origins of the universe that sits more comfortably with our mindset. The big bang theory ticks all the boxes for the astronomers it gives the universe a beginning and by definition an end we have made the universe conform to how we expect it to be and want it to be but that does not mean it's true

[visicircle]

The human brain is part of the universe, ergo....

[freemindas]

The whole Universe is packed inside our skull