[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.49,0:00:10.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hi.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.32,0:00:12.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I have no idea\Nwhat Milton just said, so -
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.87,0:00:13.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.89,0:00:16.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If it was bad,\Nyou will tell me, won't you?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.19,0:00:19.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.02,0:00:24.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We human beings can be\Nquite clever when we try,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.70,0:00:28.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and over the centuries\Nwe've managed to solve
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.75,0:00:31.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,many of the great mysteries\Nof the world, of life.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.31,0:00:37.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We know now that the sky is not really\Nheld up with four tent poles
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.83,0:00:40.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that stars are not really\Ntiny little things.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.59,0:00:42.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're just a very long way away.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.14,0:00:48.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We even know that teenagers\Nare not really possessed by demons.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.91,0:00:50.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.40,0:00:52.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're just clinically insane.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.54,0:00:54.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.07,0:00:57.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there are still some mysteries left.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.97,0:01:01.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's the origin of the universe.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.38,0:01:03.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's quite a big one.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.73,0:01:08.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there's a lot of mysteries\Nabout how a tiny little egg cell
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.57,0:01:11.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can grow and develop
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.02,0:01:17.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into something as complex and wonderful\Nand tremendously attractive as you.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.50,0:01:25.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there's the mystery of consciousness,\Nthe great secret of consciousness.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.74,0:01:29.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How come there's a me\Ninside my head looking out?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.72,0:01:34.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd love to talk to you\Nabout all three of those things,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.35,0:01:37.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I only have thirteen minutes,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.28,0:01:40.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so I'm just going to solve\Nthe secret of consciousness.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.65,0:01:45.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't want to leave you in suspense,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.58,0:01:49.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because frankly, when you hear the answer,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.21,0:01:51.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you're just going to be\Nbitterly disappointed anyway.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.71,0:01:54.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I'll tell you the secret straightaway,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.38,0:01:57.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then I'll try to make you\Nfeel better about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.47,0:02:00.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, okay, here we go. Are you ready?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.12,0:02:06.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The great secret of consciousness is ...
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.82,0:02:10.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No, actually, I'll tell you a story first.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.89,0:02:13.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.07,0:02:18.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When my son Christopher\Nwas a little boy, about that big,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.07,0:02:19.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,one of his teachers asked him
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.56,0:02:23.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what he wanted to be,\Nwhat he wanted to do when he grew up.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.98,0:02:26.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And Christopher very confidently answered,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.04,0:02:29.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"I want to study how one thing\Naffects another."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.91,0:02:34.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as career plans go,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.43,0:02:38.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think his teacher felt\Nthat was a little bit vague,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.82,0:02:41.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I was really proud of him.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.95,0:02:45.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For a start, you can never be unemployed\Nwith a skill like that, can you?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.39,0:02:46.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.53,0:02:48.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You want to solve the problems of cancer,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.50,0:02:51.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you want to find out why wars get started,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.69,0:02:53.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you want to design better spacecraft,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.67,0:02:58.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who better to ask than somebody who knows\Nhow one thing leads to another?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.58,0:03:01.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But he was right.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.95,0:03:04.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can study how one thing\Naffects another.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.05,0:03:07.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's called cybernetics, in fact.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.27,0:03:12.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because there's not that many ways\Nin which one thing can affect another.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.31,0:03:15.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you're quite good at patterns,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.08,0:03:18.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you start to see that the same\Nkinds of dynamics
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.70,0:03:21.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,occur in many, many levels of scale.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.94,0:03:26.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Chris was kind of simplifying -\Nbecause it was a teacher, you know -
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.89,0:03:31.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what he really meant\Nwas not how one thing affects another,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.33,0:03:37.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but how one thing affects another\Nthat affects the first thing again.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.95,0:03:41.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So something called\Ncircular causality or feedback,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.24,0:03:45.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and cybernetics is the study of feedback.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.98,0:03:47.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is really important
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.48,0:03:52.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because basically everything\Nyou see around you
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.21,0:03:54.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,exists because of feedback.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.74,0:03:59.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The atoms in the seat in front of you,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.71,0:04:03.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the mind and the body\Nof the person sitting in that seat,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.25,0:04:09.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the words I'm using, Portugal, even TED.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.14,0:04:12.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of these things exist\Nbecause of feedback,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.38,0:04:17.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because they are self-reinforcing\Nor self-regulating in some way.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.70,0:04:20.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because if they weren't,\Nthey'd just disappear.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.92,0:04:25.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So everything is feedback\Nand feedback is everything.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.39,0:04:31.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Anyway, where was I?\NConsciousness. Alright. This time.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.24,0:04:32.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.92,0:04:36.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The great secret of consciousness is ...
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.28,0:04:40.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the way,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.58,0:04:42.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.40,0:04:44.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have you ever spent much time\Nthinking about the fact
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.96,0:04:49.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you are actually\Na colony of single-celled creatures?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.87,0:04:53.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's kind of freaky,\Nbut it's also quite wonderful.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.62,0:04:55.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You are.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.23,0:05:02.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You are a society\Nof 100 trillion little creatures,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.70,0:05:07.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and 90% of them are bacteria,\Nwhich is kind of embarrassing,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.52,0:05:12.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but you can't live without them,\Nso collectively they're you.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.11,0:05:16.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And even the ones that have human genes,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.60,0:05:21.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're really just\Nlittle single-celled animals,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.66,0:05:24.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they reproduce asexually;
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.13,0:05:27.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they divide into two, then four,\Nthen eight and sixteen.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.95,0:05:31.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And almost the only thing\Nthat's special about them
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.67,0:05:34.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the fact that they're covered in glue,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.89,0:05:38.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so they kind of end up\Nstuck together in a lump
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.08,0:05:42.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,instead of swimming off and living\Nhappy independent lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.66,0:05:47.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So basically you are a lump\Nof sticky little creatures.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.90,0:05:51.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The reason I tell you this partly is
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.93,0:05:55.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that it kind of explains\Nwhat I do for a living.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:56.09,0:05:58.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I work in a field called artificial life,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.48,0:06:05.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which basically means\Nusing technology to explore biology.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.30,0:06:09.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so I spend my days\Nmaking artificial creatures.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.49,0:06:12.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sometimes robots.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:12.16,0:06:18.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact I have a full-sized female,\Nmini-skirted robot sitting in my bedroom,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:18.42,0:06:19.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.51,0:06:22.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which causes a big shock\Nto anyone who comes in
Dialogue: 0,0:06:22.26,0:06:24.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to do something in my apartment.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.37,0:06:31.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But mostly, I make virtual creatures\Nthat live inside a computer.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.100,0:06:39.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The only thing worth knowing about this\Nis that they are also communities.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.56,0:06:43.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I don't try to program computers\Nto behave like animals;
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.86,0:06:47.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I try to program computers\Nto behave like brain cells
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.44,0:06:49.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and kidney cells and liver cells,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.42,0:06:53.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then I try to find ways\Nto plug them together into systems,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.64,0:06:55.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into communities,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.85,0:07:02.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that collectively have thoughts\Nand feelings and hopes and dreams.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.38,0:07:08.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And many, many years ago,\Nabout 20,000 years ago,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.08,0:07:13.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I took some of my little creatures\Nand put them into a computer game
Dialogue: 0,0:07:13.92,0:07:15.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and let people play with them,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:15.47,0:07:17.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the results were wonderful.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:19.02,0:07:23.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At least a million people\Nstarted looking after my little creatures,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.37,0:07:25.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they did great things.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.11,0:07:29.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They would set up adoption agencies,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:30.38,0:07:31.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,write lots of stories,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.70,0:07:33.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,do scientific experiments on them,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.33,0:07:36.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,study their genetics.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:40.97,0:07:42.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Actually quite a lot of them went on,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.89,0:07:44.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when they grew up,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.49,0:07:46.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they went on to become\Nscientists and stuff,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.63,0:07:48.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of the experiments\Nthey had been doing
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.84,0:07:51.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on my little artificial life forms.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.40,0:07:55.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the most important thing\Nwas that they asked a lot of questions,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.40,0:07:59.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,deep questions about what is life,\Nwhat is the mind, what is consciousness.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:59.75,0:08:03.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I just loved that;\Nit made my whole life worth living.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.26,0:08:07.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because these questions really matter.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:09.04,0:08:12.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How do we know,\Nhow can we make good judgements
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.50,0:08:19.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about ethical questions\Nlike abortion or animal cruelty
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.95,0:08:22.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we don't know what consciousness is?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:23.18,0:08:27.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can't be cruel to something\Nunless it knows you're being cruel to it.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.09,0:08:29.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But how do we know whether it knows?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.28,0:08:33.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I live in America,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.84,0:08:39.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and over there, abortion\Nis a huge political subject.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:40.14,0:08:44.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It sometimes seems to me\Nlike half the population believe this,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:44.94,0:08:47.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the other half\Nof the population believe that.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:49.09,0:08:53.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They can't both be right.\NThey could of course both be wrong.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.46,0:08:58.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Are they sitting down\Naround a really long table,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:58.98,0:09:03.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,having discussions and trying to work out\Nwhat the right answer is about abortion?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:03.49,0:09:06.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well no, of course not. It's America.\NThey just shoot each other.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:06.64,0:09:09.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:09:10.42,0:09:11.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it's a mess.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:11.60,0:09:13.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We don't know what we're talking about,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:13.87,0:09:18.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and part of the reason is,\NI think, that we're stuck.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:19.36,0:09:21.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're stuck, we can't move\Nforward with these problems,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:21.93,0:09:26.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we don't know\Nwhat the secret of consciousness is.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:28.98,0:09:34.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I guess that's me there.\NThird time lucky, I'll tell you.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.03,0:09:37.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This time, I'll tell you,\Nand you're not going to like it.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:37.87,0:09:42.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Alright, so the great secret\Nof consciousness is ...
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.10,0:09:47.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that there is no secret of consciousness.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.51,0:09:49.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.98,0:09:52.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'll tell you the bad news first,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:52.30,0:09:55.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then I'll try to convince you\Nthat it's actually good news.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.20,0:09:59.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The thing is -
Dialogue: 0,0:10:01.36,0:10:04.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over the last few years,\NI've been building some new creatures,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.67,0:10:08.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I really think that now,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.26,0:10:12.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am starting to get a glimmer\Nof consciousness out of these creatures.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:13.62,0:10:17.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And for me that's great.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:17.53,0:10:19.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I really wanted to bring them along.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:19.94,0:10:23.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm so sorry, but they misbehaved\Nand I just couldn't do it.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.82,0:10:25.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:10:25.60,0:10:28.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So for me it's great\Nbecause this is my life's work.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:28.36,0:10:30.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've spent 35 years doing this stuff,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:30.76,0:10:34.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's nice to feel that I'm starting\Nto get close to something.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:34.72,0:10:38.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But a lot of people don't feel\Nthat way about these things,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:40.27,0:10:42.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because these creatures are artificial.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.72,0:10:44.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They live in a computer.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:44.22,0:10:47.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So they can't have a supernatural soul,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.43,0:10:53.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they can't even have freaky,\Nweird things like quantum mechanics
Dialogue: 0,0:10:53.15,0:10:57.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to explain the consciousness\Nand all the other things that we concoct
Dialogue: 0,0:10:57.54,0:11:01.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to try to make ourselves feel better\Nabout how special we are.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.69,0:11:06.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're machines,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:06.68,0:11:10.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and therefore, if I'm right, so are we,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.79,0:11:13.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and nobody wants to be called a machine.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:14.17,0:11:17.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You just don't want to tell people that.\NThey don't want to be it.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:17.92,0:11:22.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not exactly special,\Nand machines wear out.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:24.32,0:11:26.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what do I do?
Dialogue: 0,0:11:27.45,0:11:30.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What do you do if it bothers you?
Dialogue: 0,0:11:30.52,0:11:33.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, all that stuff I was telling you
Dialogue: 0,0:11:33.23,0:11:38.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about Christopher and feedback\Nand collections of little cells,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:38.89,0:11:40.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's where the answer lies.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:40.97,0:11:45.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I can't explain it to you now,\Nbut if you want to know
Dialogue: 0,0:11:45.22,0:11:48.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how to deal with the fact\Nthat we are machines -
Dialogue: 0,0:11:49.41,0:11:52.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that's not a bad thing -\Nthat's where to look.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:52.79,0:11:56.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But let me try and finish\Nwith a cosmogony,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:56.86,0:11:59.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a little story of a better origins,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:59.37,0:12:01.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the creation story.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:01.31,0:12:03.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know the biblical creation story.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:05.70,0:12:12.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Basically, God created the universe\Nperfect and fully formed,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.21,0:12:15.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then some people came along\Nand screwed it all up,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:15.88,0:12:18.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's all been downhill ever since.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.85,0:12:24.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that creation story\Nis all about decline and decay.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.54,0:12:29.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But in my field, complexity studies,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:29.23,0:12:30.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,complexity theory,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:31.98,0:12:35.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can offer a different kind\Nof creation story.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:37.07,0:12:42.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in that story the universe\Nwasn't created fully formed and perfect;
Dialogue: 0,0:12:43.26,0:12:49.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it was very, very simple and very, very,\Nvery, very, very, very boring.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:50.33,0:12:55.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's a creative universe,\Na self-organizing universe,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:55.66,0:12:59.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a universe that discovers and invents\Nthings that didn't exist before -
Dialogue: 0,0:13:00.40,0:13:01.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all the time.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:04.92,0:13:09.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Essentially thanks\Nto the power of feedback,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:10.13,0:13:15.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an empty universe once discovered\Nhow to make matter out of empty space.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.70,0:13:18.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And once it had figured out\Nhow to make matter
Dialogue: 0,0:13:18.89,0:13:20.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the matter cooled down enough,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:20.51,0:13:22.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it discovered it could do\Nchemistry with it.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:23.95,0:13:28.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the chemistry practiced and practiced\Nand practiced for billions of years
Dialogue: 0,0:13:28.07,0:13:30.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and eventually figured out\Nit could make life.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:31.60,0:13:35.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then as soon as life showed up,\Nit was never going to go away again,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:36.82,0:13:39.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so it experimented with different ways
Dialogue: 0,0:13:39.62,0:13:42.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of plugging cells together\Ninto communities
Dialogue: 0,0:13:42.16,0:13:45.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to do different things\Nthat enabled it to survive,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:45.34,0:13:47.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,made it self-sustaining,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:47.84,0:13:50.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and during that process, eventually,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:50.71,0:13:53.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it needed to build models of the world
Dialogue: 0,0:13:53.83,0:13:58.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that it could make plans\Nand predict things,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:58.60,0:14:01.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I think that's where\Nconsciousness came from.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:01.14,0:14:06.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it's just what happens\Nwhen a certain kind of machine is working.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:06.42,0:14:08.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's nothing freaky about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:10.51,0:14:14.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But this is a pretty cool universe
Dialogue: 0,0:14:14.91,0:14:16.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we emerged out of all this.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:16.98,0:14:19.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what I'm saying is that,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:19.41,0:14:23.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yes, we are machines,\Nbut we're not just machines;
Dialogue: 0,0:14:24.28,0:14:26.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we're amazing machines.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:28.30,0:14:32.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're the product\Nof 14 billion years of experiment
Dialogue: 0,0:14:33.01,0:14:35.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by an incredibly creative universe.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:35.32,0:14:38.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so hopefully that makes you\Nfeel a little bit better
Dialogue: 0,0:14:40.22,0:14:41.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about being a machine.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:42.00,0:14:46.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So my advice is to try\Nand embrace you're in a machine,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:47.03,0:14:50.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's not a bad thing to be.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:50.77,0:14:52.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:52.00,0:14:54.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)