Ep 10. Intuition

In this episode of Brain Games titled Intuition, we explore the concept of intuition - that mysterious gut feeling that is often hard to explain. Host Jason Silva takes us on a journey to uncover how intuition works and what role it plays in our decision-making process.

Throughout the episode, we are presented with various experiments and real-life situations that demonstrate the power of intuition. From a game of chance involving cups and balls to a basketball game where the ball is passed around secretly, we see how our brains can sometimes pick up on patterns and clues that we may not even be consciously aware of.

One interesting section of the episode focuses on the role of our peripheral vision in intuition. We learn that our brain can process up to 60 images per second, but we are only consciously aware of a small fraction of what we see. Our peripheral vision takes in a lot of information that we don't ordinarily pay attention to, but this information can sometimes be key in helping us make decisions. For example, in a game where participants have to guess whether a face is happy or sad, those who were shown the entire face (and not just a portion of it) were more accurate in their guesses.

Intuition can also be influenced by our emotions. We see this in an experiment where participants have to rate the attractiveness of faces that are either happy or sad. Not surprisingly, the faces that are happy are rated as more attractive overall. But what's interesting is that participants also rated the faces as more symmetrical - even though there was no actual difference in symmetry. This suggests that our emotions can affect how we perceive things, which in turn can influence our intuition.

Another section of the episode focuses on the difference between intuition and instinct. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they actually refer to different things. Instincts are innate behaviors that are hardwired into our brains, such as the reflex to blink when something comes close to our eyes. Intuition, on the other hand, is a feeling or hunch that we get about something - it's not necessarily a conscious response, but rather a subconscious one.

One of the key takeaways from the episode is that intuition isn't infallible. While it may sometimes lead us to make the right decision, it's important to balance our intuition with logic and reason. We see this in an experiment where participants have to choose between two options in order to get a reward. Although one option has a higher probability of success, participants are more likely to choose the other option if it 'feels' right. In this case, relying solely on intuition may not lead to the best outcome.

Overall, Intuition is a fascinating look at one of the most mysterious aspects of the human mind. Through a combination of experiments, real-life examples, and expert analysis, we gain a deeper understanding of how intuition works and how we can use it to make better decisions. Whether you're interested in psychology, neuroscience, or just want to learn more about how your mind works, this episode is sure to captivate and enlighten you.