Name: Do we see reality as it is?
Uploaded: 2015-06-11T15:37:45Z
Duration: 21 min 40 s
Description: Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman is trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is ... or as we need it to be? In this ever so slightly mind-blowing talk, he ponders how our minds construct reality for us.

Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman is trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is ... or as we need it to be? In this ever so slightly mind-blowing talk, he ponders how our minds construct reality for us.

Do we see reality as it is?

Perception is not a window onto reality but a user interface shaped by evolution to keep us alive, not to reveal objective truth. Evolutionary simulations show that organisms tuned only to survival, not accuracy, outcompete those that see reality as it is. Just as a computer desktop hides circuitry behind icons, our senses provide symbols that guide behavior while hiding the world's complexity. Even familiar objects, like a tomato or a train, exist in our experience as adaptive constructs rather than faithful representations.