TED Conversations

Ricardo Marques

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Has anyone ever thought about the fact that no one can live in the present?

Every bit of information our brains process is about something that has already happened. Any event we gain conscious knowledge of is already gone. The best examples are sound and light, everything we see and hear and when we notice that information has had to travel some distance, like fireworks. We see them and then hear them, but they blew up way before we know. To give it another twist lets use deep space exploration since pretty much all data being gathered now from planets light-years away, did happen years ago so we end up seeing many galaxies that no longer even exist.

Topics: Senses Space and Time brain consciousness
+1
Share:

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • thumb

    John Moonstroller 20+

    • 0
    Aug 17 2012: What if you two mirrors and you are standing in the middle between them?
    Are you the reflective image of the two?
    • thumb

      Colleen Steen 500+

      • 0
      Aug 19 2012: John,
      If we were standing in the middle of two mirrors, wouldn't we see MANY reflections back and forth of ourselves, as well as many reflections of the mirrors? I'm not getting how this is related to the topic...help!
      • thumb

        John Moonstroller 20+

        • 0
        Aug 20 2012: If you notice the reflections are all distinct. There is no phase interruption as the light particles/waves interact with one another. There is no color distortion. I wonder if this is a real phenomenon of our mind making the corrections to see things correctly (which is what the mind does).

        If the mirrors are arranged in such a way as to superimpose the reflections on one another would the image appear differently? Do you know how the stereo viewer works?

        It was just a thought. I always keep in mind that what I see is a corrected version of reality. The mind is constantly forcing us to make sense of the world around us and will correct things if necessary to bring the world into our normal view. This, of course forces us to use other means of measuring phenomena to determine exactly what is happening.

        Time is a hard function to take out of the equation when we want to measure real phenomena. I sometimes look at it as ticks on a measuring stick which are only accepted measures of distance. Even if you compress space to reduce the distance between two points, it just looks like you traveled through time.

        It's a spicy subject.
        • thumb

          Colleen Steen 500+

          • 0
          Aug 21 2012: OK John, I think I get what you are saying, and I agree to a certain extent. No, I do not know how a stereo viewer works....I am technically challenged! LOL:>)

          Is the mind "constantly forcing us to make sense of the world around us"? Do you think/feel we have a choice? To continually program the mind with information that will support our personal worldview? OR...open the mind to possibly new information?

          Using your mirror images for example. If we stand still, the images will not change...correct? If we move, the images will change. Movement, involves a choice on our part, and the mind directs the movement of the body? So, it is not just our mind at work. It takes other factors to create change. If we decide NOT to move, and not change the images, the information provided to the mind/brain by way of the reflections remains the same.....yes?

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.