Your Brain is a Time Machine, with Dean Buonomano

Is time fundamental to the universe or a human construct? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore our brain’s relationship with time, how we remember the past, and project the future with Dean Buonomano, Professor of Neurobiology and Psychology at UCLA. Why do we measure time more accurately than any other dimension in physics? How do our brains even tell time? We compare man-made oscillators to our biological hardware. How did ancient cyanobacteria predict the sunrise before the first eye ever evolved? We look at how the invention of the pendulum clock synchronized human behavior to spark the Industrial Revolution and why being able to tell time is such a core function of life. What separates humans from a squirrel burying nuts? We explore the concept of mental time travel and our unique ability to project ourselves into the past and future. We dive into the philosophical battle between Presentism and Eternalism. Buonomano explains the mechanics of memory and how neural dynamics physically remember things for us. We discuss the tension between neuroscience and physics. Is the "flow" of time an illusion? We explore time dilation, the McGurk effect, explain how your brain syncs vision with sound, and whether we could ever truly upload knowledge like in Total Recall. Finally, is the brain the only time machine physics will ever allow? Can the brain truly ever understand itself and the universe? Thanks to our Patrons Austin koffler, Tommy O’Connor, Igor Vihnanek, Maria Banks, William Warren, Bud K, Dmitry Oksen, M-DOG, Jim Crider, Benjamin Newman, Mark Saravi, Ethan Meirovitz, Poole, Patti, mike hallatt, Barbara, Dicky P, Cody Hansen, Jorge, Jules Bethea, James A Kissell, Nikola Mucnjak, Helen Anderson, Jordan Teets, Bob Conrod, Aaron Clark, Jason Pack, John Munn, Fabrizio_9100, Antonio, Alvin Wuolu-luckett, Frederik Unser, Boptimus Prime, Vincent Davis, Jordyn Grulkowski, Greg Young, Kristopher Warren, Sam Gosin, JJ Budd, Donna L, ryan fontenot, Bill, PJ, jono langley, leats1, Jim Nagel, Nick O, Anthony Delgado, Peter Ainsworth, Joseph Garcia, Jay Reiss, Jimbo, Brian Greene, Anselmo Bernal, Stephane Raymond, Markush, Charles Perry, Steven Hardesty, TZ, Matt Entner, Olly, Joe Liparela, Andrew Rodgers, DJ Homer, Ibrahim Mohmed, Jarrad, AnJean3tte, Ryan Ciehanski, Doogle Chrome, Mick Kolassa, Ida Booth, Bret, Chris Miller, Lasse Callesen, elizabeth zaks, Steinbjorn, Jessica ♥️, Kaptain Karl, Pavel V S [ Dr.Bubble ], Nikki Tink Shubert, SUDIPTO SEN, Nathan Howard, Eldrick Sneed, Kem Phillips, Bradford Peterson, Andrew Davis, Sharvesh Kumar Jeyachandran, and Becky K for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Dean Buonomano 03:35 - How The Brain Tells Time 09:35 - Why Life Tells Time 12:03 - Human’s Relationship to Time 17:07 - Are the Past, Present, and Future Equally Real? 22:22 - Engaging in Mental Time Travel 27:13 - What is a Memory? 32:16 - The Spacetime of the Brain 35:32 - Temporal Window of Integration 38:20 - Time Dialation 40:35 - Could You Upload to the Brain? 44:06 - Is the Brain the Only Time Machine? 45:50 - Can the Human Brain Figure Out Itself? 48:30 - Closing Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson