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This is a test of your attention. You have
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five seconds to choose one of these cards and memorize it.
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Time's up!
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Time's up. Now stare at the red poker chip
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while we read your mind and remove the card that you picked.
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Look carefully and your card is gone!
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So why did you fall for this trick?
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It has everything to do with your brain's brilliance
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and its flaws.
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This program is all about your brain and your ability to pay attention.
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We're going to mess with your mind.
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We're going to put you through a series of tests
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to see how well you can focus.
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You'll be tricked,
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distracted.
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and amazed.
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One, two, three, five, six.
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And you may just emerge your better master of your mind.
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So pay attention.
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What is attention?
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It's your brain's most powerful tool to make sense
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of a busy world and streamline the thousands of things a day
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competing for your time and energy.
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Scientists are finally beginning to understand
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exactly what attention is and how it takes shape in the brain.
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And it's your attention you have to blame if you were
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stumped by the card trick.
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Look again. Do you still remember your card?
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It's highly likely that you were so focused on memorizing it,
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you didn't noticed that all of the cards were changed.
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In this program, we're going to test
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your attention with eleven more mind games
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to get inside your brain and then attempt to show you what's going on in there.
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What better place to do this than
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in the attention-grabbing city of Las Vegas?
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Many of the world's leading experts on attention can be found in Vegas.
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But they're not scientists. They're magicians.
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As an illusionist, we take the brain and take all the concepts that people have
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and use them to turn the world upside down.
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If you can take their attention to another place, willingly
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then you have done your job correctly.
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Now pay close attention to what my friend Apollo
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is about to show in my warehouse.
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I'm going to show you something that's not completely... legal.
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Amazing! But did you happen to notice all the things that have changed
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since the scene began?
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Action!
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I'm going to show you something that's not completely legal.
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While your attention was focused on the money, the table turned to a stool
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Apollo magically got a new hat and handkerchief.
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And all the posters and cards in the background changed.
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Your brain's just playing a trick on you.
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We all think we're paying close attention to the world around us.
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But strange as it may sound, this is just an illusion.
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Misdirection is an elegant form of attention control.
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Our brains only allow us to really focus on one thing at a time.
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So, when we have you decyphering the mystery down here
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another mystery can be happening back here.
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So, did you miss the eight things that changed
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throughout the scene? Don't feel bad if you were fooled.
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Since you can't pay attention to everything at once
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your brain has to prioritize what it condiders to be most important.
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Attention is like mental currency.
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And psychologists like Dan Simons know your brain has to choose carefully when to spend it.
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Attention is what we focus on in our visual environment.
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It allows us to select some aspect of the world to be seen
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and others to be ignored or filtered out of awareness
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For over 20 years Simons has been studying the brain's inability to keep track of
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changes. A concept known as "change blindness".
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Change blindness is the failure to notice surprising and large change from one moment to the next.
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When we look at our world we take in a far smaller subset of it then we think we do
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And that's because attention is limited.
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We really only focus attention on one thing at a time.
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And that thing is what we really process in a lot of detail and become aware of.
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At this very moment you may feel like you're taking in everything that's happening in front of you.
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But you're not.
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Your brain runs on just 12 watts of power,
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less than a third of the amount a refridgerator light bulb uses.
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With such limited energy, your brain is hardwired with countless shortcuts
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to essentialize the world.
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Since it can begin to process everything around you, it's evolve to focus on what counts.
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These distinct parts, called the Prefrontal Cortex and the Parietal Lobe,
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act as switching stations for signals from other areas throughout your brain.
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allowing you to shift your attention from the poker chip to the wall colour to your hands.
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In some ways your attention works like a spotlight.
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A narrow beam provide you with the very detailed image.
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A broader beam gives you the big picture but makes it harder to keep track of all the facets of the scene.
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Watch Dan closely in this next explanation of how attention works.
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Attention acts to amplify your process of perception.
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to allow you to take in those vivid details you want to focus on.
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and as a result we only notice changes to those aspects that work
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within this spotlight of your attention.
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So did you notice his shirt change?
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Of course you did.
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But that's the point.
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When the change affects what you're paying attention to
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you're very likely to spot it.
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Here's another example.
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Take a look at this image.
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We're going to alterate 5 times.
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Count the number of changes you see.
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So, hopefully you spotted the 5 changes.
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Now we'll try it again with a new image.
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But this time we're going to put a second of black between each still.
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Try to count the number of changes you see.
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That one was quite a bit harder.
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There were actually 7 different changes.
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Let's take out the black frames and run it again.
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This is a variation of a test created by the psychologist Ronald Rensing
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and it gives remarkable insight, as to how much of the world you're missing
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at any given moment.
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The flicker test suggests that when you're sitting in a casino
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you're paying so little attention to what's around you
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dozens of details in the scene could be altered and you wouldn't be likely to notice.
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If you still don't believe this would affect you in your day-to-day life
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then take a look at this next test.
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Dan Simons is setting up at a counter where a receptionist will greet people
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eager to participate in a television event.
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He'll have a conversation with the volunteers to see how aware they are of their surroundings.
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I've got a form. Let me just grab you a pen.
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Alright here we go. So basically all this is is a release form.
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So, have you noticed anything strange so far?
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In case you haven't, here's a look at the same scene from a different angle.
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I got a form, let me just grab you a pen
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Alright.
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Alright, here we go.
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If you spotted the switch you may be surprised to find out you're in the minority.
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Now let's see just how many people who approach the desk were aware of the attempted deception.
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Hey what's up buddy how you doing.
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I just need you to fill this release form, please.
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Let me grab you a pen.
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Ok, here we go.
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Go ahead just sign and date it.
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So where you from?
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New Jersey.
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How are you doing today?
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Great how are you?
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Real good, real good.
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Ahh I just need you to fill this release form. Let me grab you a pen, okay.
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Ok, here we go.
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Ah let me just grab you a pen for this.
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Ok.
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You're making me sign a waiver for this huh?
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Alright here wo go. Yea absolutely
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Laughter
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None of the next three people noticed the switch.
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Hello.
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It is difficult to believe that our brains are easily fooled.
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-What's your name? -Eva. E-V-A.
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How you could possibly not notice the person you're talking to changing mid conversation?
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Can you describe the person who was here behind the counter?
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He had dark hair. I think he had a black shirt on, but I'm not sure.
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Alright, can you stand up?
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Oh, my God, it was him!
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Laughter
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You don't recognize him though?
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No, I've never seen you before.
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Ok. He was actually here behind the counter when you first came to the counter.
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He's the one who said I'm gonna duck down and get you a pen.
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Oh, my God, are you serious? Well, that's totally embarassing!
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The reason we don't notice changes like this, is because we're not expecting them to occur.
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In a world where backgrounds don't suddenly switch, objects don't spontaneously appear
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and people don't morph into other people, our brains aren't prepared to notice
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when these things do happen.
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Oh my god!
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Didn't even notice it.
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-Man!
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You didn't catch that? -I didn't catch that at all.
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So, do you think you would have noticed the swap if you'd been there?
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-Sure. -Yes. -Absolutely.
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Most people answer yes, but Dan's data suggest that only 1 in 3 would spot the switch.
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Eh, what's your name?
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There's another guy that's underneath the table
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You're not the person that bent down to get the pen.
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Someone else popped up.
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The takeaway of this experiment is not just that we miss these
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sorts of changes , but that we think we're going to notice them.
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And that illusion of attention is something
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that plays a role in a lot of aspects of our lives.
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Amazingly, we miss these sorts of changes every single day.
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In trivial scenarios, like asking the wrong waiter for the bill,
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or in more serious situations, like when failing to notice
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big changes in the language of a lease agreement.
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And in extreme cases where a person mixes up which suspect in a lineup
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committed a crime.
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Uh let me grab you a pen.
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So we see less of the world that we think we do.
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But just how much are we capable of missing?
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What if these sorts of changes were not happening accross a counter
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but inside your personal space?
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Do you think you'd notice?
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Apollo Robbins is a slight-of-hand expert.
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I'm going to show you something that's not completely legal.
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Apollo knows how to deceive by understanding how you misperceive.
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And he uses that knowledge to steal things.
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Here's a little game if you don't mind if I try
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Apollo is about to pick this man's pockets and steal several of his possessions.
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Pay close attention and take note of which items you see him steal.
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Alright, out of the things you have inside, which would you say
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is the most valuable? The thing that you have inside of your pocket or the gum down below?
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Uhh pocket.
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Pocket- okay.
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Not this pocket, but the inside pocket.
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Yea this has my wallet.
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Alright man move this so I can take a peak.
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-Yea
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Inside here?
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Is your wallet like a bifold leather, or what is it?
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Yea, bifold.
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Would you bring it out for me? Is there anything inside this pocket?
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Or is that a real pocket as well?
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- No there's nothing inside there
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Okay so just stay. I'll step over here so you can bring it out for me as well
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and check your front pocket here? Did you have something inside?
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Uh yeah. Phone charger.
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So put these back in a safe place
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- Okay. That should be how I have it.
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There is something here. You don't mind if I bring this out in public, do you? - No go ahead
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Yea I believe it's really strange, it's a bit odd perhaps you picked that up down below
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I'm just gonna put it here somewhere where it's safe.
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And the charger was in your front left pocket? Or your back right?
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Front left.- Front left. Do you remember that exactly?
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He's already stolen 3 items. Did you see him take them?
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Apollo is going to steal one more thing from this man
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but first he's going to give back the 3 items he's already taken.
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We had all these other items I believe, that's not your scarf perhaps but you had
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one as well, didn't you? A pocket scarf?
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- Ahh man.
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It's cold too you should get one of these it's really nice. I believe that's for you sir
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just as a gift.
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I think we got everything back to you, didn't we?
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- Yea yea.
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Where-where was that credit card at? -This was in my wallet that was in here.
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Show me where it was inside your wallet just so we can make sure that you have everything else.
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My wallet's not here. -Oh, you don't have your wallet?
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No, you took it. -I'm sorry, perhaps. May I bring that out for a second?
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I believe down by your front pocket I believe, was that something of yours?
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Oh that was it- and put that back by the front pocket as well.
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So you have everything else?
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- Yes.
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Good. I'm sorry. I forget to give things back sometimes so that was very kind of you.
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I have my phone charger
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No but you do have your phone in case you're missing something else.
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- My phone!
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00:14:43,422 --> 00:14:45,081
Thank you. Officially off duty now.
246
00:14:45,081 --> 00:14:45,831
Alright, thank you thank you. - My pleasure
247
00:14:45,831 --> 00:14:46,645
Nice to meet you too.
248
00:14:47,275 --> 00:14:52,074
How many of the four things were you able to count?
249
00:14:53,744 --> 00:14:56,757
Here's a quick inventory of what was taken.
250
00:14:56,757 --> 00:15:01,217
A handkerchief, a scarf, a wallet and a mobile phone.
251
00:15:01,217 --> 00:15:04,079
This is how Apollo stole each item.
252
00:15:04,079 --> 00:15:06,299
Here's a little game if you don't mind if I try
253
00:15:06,299 --> 00:15:09,189
out of the things that you have inside, which would you say is the most valuable?
254
00:15:09,189 --> 00:15:11,079
The thing that you have inside your pocket
255
00:15:13,252 --> 00:15:16,562
Let's check your front pocket here, did you have something inside?
256
00:15:17,706 --> 00:15:19,996
You don't mind if I bring this out in public, do you?
257
00:15:24,231 --> 00:15:25,891
So you have everything else.
258
00:15:27,178 --> 00:15:29,188
Officially off duty now.
259
00:15:29,466 --> 00:15:31,796
So what does all this got to do with the brain?
260
00:15:31,796 --> 00:15:32,796
Oh my god!
261
00:15:33,996 --> 00:15:36,892
Apollo is manipulating the brain's ability to focus.
262
00:15:36,892 --> 00:15:38,572
It looks a lot like your watch, doesn't it?
263
00:15:39,425 --> 00:15:41,240
Let's take a look at how that works.
264
00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:42,900
Drumroll
265
00:15:43,330 --> 00:15:46,750
There are many ways in which your attention can be manipulated.
266
00:15:46,750 --> 00:15:53,226
Often these manipulations rely on two basic types of attention that form in your brain.
267
00:15:53,226 --> 00:15:57,690
First, there's what scientists refer to as top-down attention
268
00:15:57,690 --> 00:16:00,790
This is your decision-making attention.
269
00:16:00,790 --> 00:16:04,758
Take a second to look away from your screen to the nearest doorway.
270
00:16:04,758 --> 00:16:10,110
You have made a conscious choice to look away using your decision-making attention.
271
00:16:10,110 --> 00:16:14,491
Next, there's the second kind of attention.
phone ringing
272
00:16:14,491 --> 00:16:17,948
You can hear the phone ringing,
phone ringing
and if you thought even for a second
273
00:16:17,948 --> 00:16:20,962
that it was your phone, you used what scientists call
274
00:16:20,962 --> 00:16:25,682
bottom-up attention, where something grabs your focus.
275
00:16:30,702 --> 00:16:35,145
When you looked over to the doorway, you were using the area of your brain
276
00:16:35,145 --> 00:16:40,147
known as Prefrontal Cortex, and it's specially involved in humans to help us out
277
00:16:40,147 --> 00:16:42,734
with advanced decision making and planning.
278
00:16:42,734 --> 00:16:44,344
phone ringing
279
00:16:44,344 --> 00:16:48,404
If the sound of the phone attracted your attention, you were using a more primitive
280
00:16:48,404 --> 00:16:53,472
responsee system throughout the area of your brain called the Sensory Cortices.
281
00:16:53,472 --> 00:17:01,420
In these and other regions unexpected stimuli from your senses can be quickly rooted to grab your focus.
282
00:17:01,420 --> 00:17:07,670
When Apollo takes a wallet or steals a watch, he utilizes both forms of his victims' attention to deceive.
283
00:17:07,670 --> 00:17:09,590
This actually looks a little bit like your room key, doesn't it?
284
00:17:09,590 --> 00:17:10,920
- Oh that's right!
285
00:17:11,230 --> 00:17:16,182
Distracting people can be quite simple. Here I used the top-down distraction.
286
00:17:16,182 --> 00:17:19,567
Sometimes all it takes is telling someone to focus on one place
287
00:17:19,567 --> 00:17:23,311
while you quietly remove their watch off their wrist.
288
00:17:23,311 --> 00:17:25,541
When I need to steal from a difficult spot
289
00:17:25,541 --> 00:17:29,639
I like to use a bottom-up attention strategy to direct the focus.
290
00:17:29,639 --> 00:17:35,334
The surprise of the spoon completely captivates him while I steal his phone
291
00:17:36,794 --> 00:17:37,794
Who's Lily?
292
00:17:38,745 --> 00:17:43,760
What's most impressive about Apollo's tricks is that even if you know how they work
293
00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,205
he'll still be able to fool you.
294
00:17:46,205 --> 00:17:49,915
As we've seen, our attention is extremely limited. And keeping track
295
00:17:49,915 --> 00:17:53,865
of a mobile phone, wallet, scarf and handkerchief at the same time
296
00:17:53,865 --> 00:17:56,395
can be too much for our brains to handle.
297
00:17:56,395 --> 00:17:57,505
- Oh man aha
298
00:17:57,505 --> 00:17:58,505
- It was a pleasure.
299
00:17:58,505 --> 00:18:02,297
To demonstrate how difficult it can be to keep track of more than one thing
300
00:18:02,297 --> 00:18:06,223
illusionist David Copperfield has a simple experiment.
301
00:18:06,223 --> 00:18:08,391
Let's put your brain to the test.
302
00:18:08,391 --> 00:18:11,741
You're going to multitask. Do two things at once.
303
00:18:11,921 --> 00:18:17,217
Now, count how many times you see my picture and name on the screen, and at the same time
304
00:18:17,217 --> 00:18:21,998
listen to my voice and count how many times you hear the word 'magic'.
305
00:18:21,998 --> 00:18:24,987
Pay attention. Here we go.
306
00:18:28,077 --> 00:18:31,157
What's magic about magic, is that some magic fools your eyes
307
00:18:31,157 --> 00:18:36,084
while other magic fools your brain. A magic of attention is responsible
308
00:18:36,084 --> 00:18:40,740
for some of magic's most impressive illusions. A lot of magic is quite easy to perform
309
00:18:40,740 --> 00:18:44,982
while other magic can be quite difficult to pull off.
310
00:18:44,982 --> 00:18:47,128
But that's magic.
311
00:18:47,858 --> 00:18:49,221
Harder than you thought?
312
00:18:49,221 --> 00:18:51,901
How many times did I say 'magic'?
313
00:18:51,901 --> 00:18:53,251
bell rings
314
00:18:53,651 --> 00:18:55,944
How many times did you see my picture and my name?
315
00:18:55,944 --> 00:18:57,264
bell rings
316
00:19:01,594 --> 00:19:04,731
So, are you a good multi-tasker?
317
00:19:04,731 --> 00:19:08,581
How many things do you think you could do simultaneously?
318
00:19:08,581 --> 00:19:12,467
Despite the fact many of us believe we are successfully multi-tasking
319
00:19:12,467 --> 00:19:17,346
much of the time, it turns out most of us aren't any good at it.
320
00:19:17,346 --> 00:19:20,363
Professor David Strayer's research has shown we generally aren't the multi-taskers
321
00:19:20,363 --> 00:19:27,602
we may think we are. Realisticaly, we can really only process one thing at a time.
322
00:19:27,602 --> 00:19:32,503
Were effectively, serial processors when we're doing one task at a time.
323
00:19:32,503 --> 00:19:38,093
Staryer co-runs a lab at the University of Utah that studies how multitasking affects the brain.
324
00:19:38,513 --> 00:19:43,577
When we try to multi-task, we're just switching from one activity to another.
325
00:19:43,577 --> 00:19:51,406
Switching involves deactivating your or paying attention to one task so you can process the other task and switching back and forth.
326
00:19:51,406 --> 00:19:54,136
So is anyone a good multi-tasker?
327
00:19:54,136 --> 00:19:57,908
This is Petrus Venter. He believes he can do several things at once,
328
00:19:57,908 --> 00:20:03,069
while doing them all effectively. So Petrus is going to be put to the test.
329
00:20:03,689 --> 00:20:05,529
I'm the CEO of a group of companies
330
00:20:05,529 --> 00:20:08,997
My feeling is that I can focus on whatever issue is at hand
331
00:20:08,997 --> 00:20:12,130
I have to be able to deal with many things simultaneously.
332
00:20:12,130 --> 00:20:16,339
In terms of multi-tasking, that I can do perfectly.
333
00:20:17,249 --> 00:20:21,428
At the top of his list of commitments, a wife and two children.
334
00:20:21,428 --> 00:20:25,430
He is very good multi-tasker, cause he has to answer to e-mails, talk with clients,
335
00:20:25,430 --> 00:20:28,567
talk with us, uh, eat.
336
00:20:28,567 --> 00:20:30,648
It's terrifying being in a car with him.
337
00:20:30,648 --> 00:20:34,318
He grips the steering wheel with his knees. Texting or emailing.
338
00:20:34,318 --> 00:20:36,408
It's always been like this and I think it's getting worse.
339
00:20:37,728 --> 00:20:43,275
It's time to find out whether Petrus really is the multi-tasker he says he is.
340
00:20:44,835 --> 00:20:49,899
Today he is meeting up with Professor Strayer to put his multi-tasking skills to the test.
341
00:20:49,899 --> 00:20:54,620
In a familiar scenario, talking on the phone while driving.
342
00:20:55,340 --> 00:20:59,246
I almost feel disconnected if I don't have my ear buds in.
343
00:20:59,246 --> 00:21:02,477
They normally stay in there for all of my life.
344
00:21:02,477 --> 00:21:03,477
phone rings
345
00:21:03,477 --> 00:21:07,266
Petrus. Oh, distractions are limited, I'm ready for your call.
346
00:21:08,336 --> 00:21:10,876
- So, how much snow has there been here?
347
00:21:10,876 --> 00:21:13,231
We've had over 155 inches.
348
00:21:13,576 --> 00:21:19,411
He's given two tasks to deal with. Petrus must answer a series of basic questions,
349
00:21:19,411 --> 00:21:24,305
and at the same time drive a uniquely challenging course.
350
00:21:28,413 --> 00:21:32,300
His multi-tasking skills are being put to the test with many distractions.
351
00:21:32,300 --> 00:21:35,120
- How do you get to your place from Salt Lake?
352
00:21:35,260 --> 00:21:38,525
While he's asked a series of basic questions over the phone,
353
00:21:38,525 --> 00:21:41,880
he must guide his car around a variety of obstacles.
354
00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,110
From Salt Lake you-you have to follow the belt route
355
00:21:47,730 --> 00:21:51,050
And uhh- ouu ehhh. Hahaha!
356
00:21:52,230 --> 00:21:55,500
- So, when did you start using your headset on the road?
357
00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:59,930
I was doing work with a-for a company
358
00:22:02,305 --> 00:22:03,305
They uh-
359
00:22:04,042 --> 00:22:05,042
This is a lot.
360
00:22:05,811 --> 00:22:06,811
And uh-
361
00:22:10,276 --> 00:22:11,026
Well-
362
00:22:13,372 --> 00:22:18,215
Petrus performed far worse than he expected.
363
00:22:18,215 --> 00:22:22,981
Now doctor Strayer is taking Petrus back to the lab for the second part of the test
364
00:22:22,981 --> 00:22:27,625
designed to give a concrete rating of his multi-tasking ability.
365
00:22:29,345 --> 00:22:33,609
We have a driving simulator. We'll have to do some cognitive tasks while you're driving
366
00:22:33,609 --> 00:22:37,536
People who claim to be super-taskers can do that cognitive task and drive
367
00:22:37,536 --> 00:22:43,359
without impairments to either the cognitive task or to driving. So, you wanna try being a super tasker?
368
00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,952
Absolutely. I'd like to see.
369
00:22:45,952 --> 00:22:50,615
This test simulates the conditions of driving while talking on the phone.
370
00:22:50,615 --> 00:22:53,748
Petrus will have two tasks to carry out while driving.
371
00:22:53,748 --> 00:22:58,314
Solving a series of maths problems while memorizing a list of words.
372
00:22:58,314 --> 00:23:02,262
The test is designed to be more demanding than the average phone conversation
373
00:23:02,262 --> 00:23:07,720
so doctor Strayer can track how much Peter's performance suffers at each task.
374
00:23:07,870 --> 00:23:08,785
- Excellent.
375
00:23:08,785 --> 00:23:09,700
phone rings
376
00:23:09,700 --> 00:23:16,945
I'm gonna ask you a series of math problems and I'll give you a short word to remember after each problem.
377
00:23:16,945 --> 00:23:21,315
I'm gonna ask you to recall all the words in the order that you heard them in.
378
00:23:21,315 --> 00:23:24,084
So, are you ready to begin? Yes.
379
00:23:25,104 --> 00:23:28,403
Sitting at home, it's not possible to do the driving task
380
00:23:28,403 --> 00:23:33,302
but have a go in completing the math's task and memorizing the words to test
381
00:23:33,302 --> 00:23:37,162
your own ability to multi-task.
382
00:23:37,162 --> 00:23:39,454
Is 3 divided by 1, minus 1, equal to 2?
383
00:23:41,484 --> 00:23:42,771
Yes.
384
00:23:42,771 --> 00:23:44,190
Ice.
385
00:23:44,190 --> 00:23:48,140
Is 2 times 2 plus 1 equal to 4?
386
00:23:48,140 --> 00:23:49,363
No.
387
00:23:49,363 --> 00:23:50,975
Owl.
388
00:23:50,975 --> 00:23:54,548
Is 9 times 2 plus 2 equal to 20?
389
00:23:58,058 --> 00:24:00,178
Uh, yes.
390
00:24:00,916 --> 00:24:02,254
Toy.
391
00:24:02,434 --> 00:24:03,434
Recall.
392
00:24:03,614 --> 00:24:16,034
Ice, uh skip, um-no, the last one was toy.
393
00:24:16,034 --> 00:24:17,520
Ok.
394
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,893
Petrus is unable to recall all of the simple words.
395
00:24:22,413 --> 00:24:26,116
The word he was looking for is 'owl'.
396
00:24:26,116 --> 00:24:30,451
You may have forgotten the word too, but this is an extremely difficult test
397
00:24:30,451 --> 00:24:33,727
and you're not driving while doing it.
398
00:24:33,727 --> 00:24:37,534
With the test complete, doctor Strayer is ready to give Petrus the answer
399
00:24:37,534 --> 00:24:40,335
as to how he ranks as a multi-tasker.
400
00:24:40,335 --> 00:24:44,017
Well, the good news is you're just like 98% of the rest of the people.
401
00:24:44,017 --> 00:24:48,416
For driving performance, you got worse when you started to multi-task
402
00:24:48,416 --> 00:24:53,126
and the conversation task got worse when you were multi-tasking as well.
403
00:24:53,126 --> 00:24:55,516
I think I'll put the cell phone a bit further away.
404
00:24:55,516 --> 00:24:56,516
Haha thank you.
405
00:24:56,516 --> 00:24:58,761
Excellent. Thanks a lot. It's been a most fun day.
406
00:24:58,761 --> 00:24:59,753
Okay good.
407
00:24:59,753 --> 00:25:07,864
Despite Petrus' conviction that he's an efficient multi-tasker his final scores turned out to be about average.
408
00:25:07,864 --> 00:25:14,733
If, like Petrus, you are among the vast majority of people who can't excel at doing two things at once,
409
00:25:14,733 --> 00:25:18,815
what does this mean for the multi-tasking you do in your day-to-day life?
410
00:25:18,815 --> 00:25:22,322
Take a look at the example of being on the phone while driving.
411
00:25:22,322 --> 00:25:26,286
Talking on a cell phone causes that form of attention blindness, where people look
412
00:25:26,286 --> 00:25:29,565
but just don't see information in the driving environment.
413
00:25:29,565 --> 00:25:32,496
They might miss the pedestrian, the traffic light.
414
00:25:32,496 --> 00:25:37,977
Many countries have now banned hand-held mobile phone usage. It's clear to see why.
415
00:25:43,537 --> 00:25:49,266
The likelihood of getting into a crash while you're talking on a cell phone, is the same as getting into a crash
416
00:25:49,266 --> 00:25:53,252
um when you're driving at a .08 blood alcohol level.
417
00:25:53,252 --> 00:25:56,884
For someone who's text messaging the crash risk is twice that.
418
00:25:56,884 --> 00:26:02,409
As further proof that we all have a one-track mind, Apollo has another trick.
419
00:26:02,409 --> 00:26:07,266
Try to catch how he does it, while still paying close attention to what he has to say.
420
00:26:07,266 --> 00:26:10,835
I get asked all the time: Where is the safest place to keep your stuff?
421
00:26:10,835 --> 00:26:13,710
The answer's really not that simple.
422
00:26:13,710 --> 00:26:16,434
A little bit more involved, you have to get inside the mind of a thief.
423
00:26:16,434 --> 00:26:19,166
And to do that, I'm gonna show you how.
424
00:26:20,626 --> 00:26:23,154
You have to understand their target.
425
00:26:23,154 --> 00:26:27,063
They're looking for brands, looking for the type of watch that you wear
426
00:26:27,063 --> 00:26:31,281
they're looking for your cash and they're looking for your phone.
427
00:26:31,281 --> 00:26:35,362
All of these things are quite valuable, but it's important where you can hide them.
428
00:26:35,362 --> 00:26:38,766
When you're travelling here's a simple thing to do. You can get a cup.
429
00:26:38,766 --> 00:26:44,556
It acts a portable safe. Put all your valuables inside, put a lid on top
430
00:26:44,556 --> 00:26:48,896
You need a little bit of a convincer, something that- it's a nice touch sometimes
431
00:26:48,896 --> 00:26:50,796
to use something simple like a straw
432
00:26:50,796 --> 00:26:55,006
You put the straw on top, it convinces them the cup might be empty
433
00:26:55,006 --> 00:26:57,294
and if they want to rob you, they wouldn't find anything on you
434
00:26:57,294 --> 00:26:59,646
and they'd probably leave you with your trash.
435
00:26:59,646 --> 00:27:02,097
But the nice things is you'd still have all your valuables
436
00:27:02,097 --> 00:27:07,316
And at the end you'd have a nice refreshing beverage.
437
00:27:08,326 --> 00:27:11,275
Did you follow Apollo's actions?
438
00:27:11,275 --> 00:27:15,398
And did you see the rabbit, the gorilla and the bear?
439
00:27:17,068 --> 00:27:25,518
Performer Apollo Robbins just turned his keys, wallet and mobile phone into a cold, fizzy drink
440
00:27:25,518 --> 00:27:28,614
while three people in animal costumes walked directly behind him
441
00:27:28,614 --> 00:27:30,264
- Nice refreshing
ding
442
00:27:31,559 --> 00:27:33,729
You can get a cup
ding
443
00:27:34,391 --> 00:27:37,111
You have to understand
ding
444
00:27:38,634 --> 00:27:40,404
Did you notice them?
445
00:27:40,404 --> 00:27:45,223
You may have noticed the rabbit, but chances are you didn't catch all three.
446
00:27:45,223 --> 00:27:47,189
Why is that?
447
00:27:47,189 --> 00:27:51,309
Is it for the same reason that it's unlikely you spotted the background change
448
00:27:51,309 --> 00:27:56,388
in Apollo's first trick? Or the objects that appeared in the flicker test?
449
00:27:56,388 --> 00:28:00,327
Those tricks relied on breaks in your visual memory that it caused you to lose
450
00:28:00,327 --> 00:28:02,608
track of details in the scene.
451
00:28:02,608 --> 00:28:05,585
Once those breaks were removed, the changes became obvious.
452
00:28:05,585 --> 00:28:11,425
In this scene there were no breaks. But it's likely you still missed something.
453
00:28:11,425 --> 00:28:15,897
This is because of a different neurological phenomenon, called inattentional blindness.
454
00:28:15,897 --> 00:28:19,238
Inattentional blindness is a failure to notice something unexpected
455
00:28:19,238 --> 00:28:22,271
when your attention is really focused tightly on something else.
456
00:28:22,271 --> 00:28:27,576
So we can often fail to see something that's fully obvious, right there in front of us if we're not looking for it.
457
00:28:27,576 --> 00:28:31,759
It's a side-effect of something that we do quite well, which is to focus attention.
458
00:28:31,759 --> 00:28:35,040
And filter out all the irrelevant distractions, a consequence of that is
459
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:39,044
we sometimes filter out things we might actually want to see.
460
00:28:39,044 --> 00:28:43,038
At any given moment, your brain is being bombarded with countless stimuli
461
00:28:43,038 --> 00:28:45,810
such as images, sounds and smells.
462
00:28:46,410 --> 00:28:52,589
These regions are some of your Sensory Cortices. Here, networks of neurons process
463
00:28:52,589 --> 00:28:55,638
the many stimuli coming in from your sense organs.
464
00:28:55,638 --> 00:29:01,940
These neurons work with nerves and other regions of your brain that prioritize the stimuli.
465
00:29:01,940 --> 00:29:05,738
making only the most important ones the object of your focus.
466
00:29:05,738 --> 00:29:10,129
One result of this sensroy triage, is that every moment millions of stimuli
467
00:29:10,129 --> 00:29:14,386
go completely unprocessed. And rabbits, gorillas and bears
468
00:29:14,386 --> 00:29:18,353
can walk through your field of vision completely unnoticed.
469
00:29:18,923 --> 00:29:23,641
Your brain is remarkably good at filling in these cognitive blind spots to create
470
00:29:23,641 --> 00:29:26,089
a seemless version of reality.
471
00:29:26,089 --> 00:29:28,658
Here's a quick test to illustrate exactly that.
472
00:29:28,658 --> 00:29:31,156
Read this sentence aloud.
473
00:29:35,830 --> 00:29:39,025
It seems incredible that we're still able to read it.
474
00:29:39,025 --> 00:29:44,170
Once your brain decyphers what's important, it fills in the rest of the scene
475
00:29:44,170 --> 00:29:47,524
with whatever your expectation suggests would be there.
476
00:29:47,524 --> 00:29:52,823
All of us experience these sorts of failures of awareness all the time and the key is that we're not aware of them.
477
00:29:52,823 --> 00:29:57,425
So you're only aware of those things that you do notice, you're not aware of all of the things you miss.
478
00:29:57,425 --> 00:30:00,809
It's a tricky concept to get your head around.
479
00:30:00,809 --> 00:30:05,520
How can you grasp how much of the world you're missing, when there's no way of knowing
480
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,959
what it is that you've missed?
481
00:30:07,959 --> 00:30:10,544
We need to simplify the idea.
482
00:30:10,544 --> 00:30:14,385
Dan Simons is teaming up with the dance group 'Jabbawockeez'
483
00:30:14,385 --> 00:30:19,962
to conduct an experiment to work out just how susceptible we are to inattentional blindness.
484
00:30:19,962 --> 00:30:24,421
It's similar to a test he's done before, using recorded video footage.
485
00:30:24,421 --> 00:30:28,791
But tonight he's trying it out with a live audience for the first time.
486
00:30:28,791 --> 00:30:31,695
Thank you all for coming in. We've got the Jabbawockeez here
487
00:30:31,695 --> 00:30:35,533
and, what we're going to do is have them do a couple of their routines.
488
00:30:35,533 --> 00:30:39,508
So here's what were gonna have you do. Any time one of Jumper Walkies wearing blue
489
00:30:39,508 --> 00:30:43,660
steps into either of the spotlights, keep track of that.
490
00:30:43,660 --> 00:30:48,861
So, if they do this, that's one. Step out, step back in: that's two.
491
00:30:48,861 --> 00:30:51,292
That makes sense? -Yeah.
492
00:30:51,292 --> 00:30:55,441
So, I'm gonna have the Jabbawockeez come back out here
493
00:30:55,441 --> 00:30:58,173
The counting exercise will help focus your attention
494
00:30:58,173 --> 00:31:00,868
Try doing this test along with the audience.
495
00:31:00,868 --> 00:31:04,837
Remember you need to keep track of the number of times the blue Jabbawockeez
496
00:31:04,837 --> 00:31:06,876
step into the spotlights.
497
00:32:05,789 --> 00:32:10,309
All right. So, how many people counted between 15 to 20?
498
00:32:10,309 --> 00:32:12,346
More than 20?
499
00:32:12,346 --> 00:32:16,359
All right. One other question. Did anybody see a penguin?
500
00:32:19,609 --> 00:32:22,040
Can we have our penguin friend come back out?
501
00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,337
Dan Simons reveals there was an extra character on the stage
502
00:32:25,337 --> 00:32:28,647
that you and the live audience may not have seen.
503
00:32:28,647 --> 00:32:31,047
So you didn't notice that when it went through.
504
00:32:31,987 --> 00:32:33,735
Let's take another look.
505
00:32:46,772 --> 00:32:49,564
For anyone that still missed it, you're not alone.
506
00:32:49,564 --> 00:32:51,453
How many people didn't see the penguin go through?
507
00:32:51,453 --> 00:32:53,991
Over 50 percent of the audience did too.
508
00:32:53,991 --> 00:32:55,645
I spotted it when it was in the middle.
509
00:32:55,645 --> 00:32:57,440
I did not spot it at all.
510
00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,595
I saw only what I was looking right at the circle.
511
00:33:00,595 --> 00:33:05,155
I was concentrating on the circles and counting the people coming in and out.
512
00:33:05,155 --> 00:33:06,460
Did you fee pretty accurate? -Oh, yeah.
513
00:33:06,460 --> 00:33:08,897
Ok. So you felt like getting close enough.
514
00:33:08,897 --> 00:33:12,262
If you didn't notice the penguin going through, don't feel bad.
515
00:33:12,262 --> 00:33:16,261
This is nothing about how intelligent you are, how much effort you are engaging
516
00:33:16,261 --> 00:33:21,890
It turns out that about half of the people miss these sorts of unexpected events in the studies that I've done.
517
00:33:21,890 --> 00:33:23,993
Do any of you happen to ride motorcycles?
518
00:33:23,993 --> 00:33:31,249
The most common kind of motorcycle collision with a car is one in which the car turns left in front of the motorcycle.
519
00:33:31,249 --> 00:33:34,290
And driver of the car is looking for other cars.
520
00:33:34,290 --> 00:33:37,013
And they literally don't see the motorcycle.
521
00:33:37,026 --> 00:33:39,383
Even though they can direct their eyes right at it.
522
00:33:39,383 --> 00:33:43,143
Just as you were looking right at this six foot penguin.
523
00:33:43,443 --> 00:33:47,905
As you can see, your brain's filter is powerful enough to cause you
524
00:33:47,905 --> 00:33:50,580
to miss large features in your environment.
525
00:33:52,070 --> 00:33:56,829
Usually, this automatic filtering of distractions makes life a lot simpler.
526
00:33:56,829 --> 00:34:00,945
But there are some situations where you'd be better off with more conscious control
527
00:34:00,945 --> 00:34:04,790
of your attention spotlight.
528
00:34:08,588 --> 00:34:11,854
You're about to see a list of coloured words.
529
00:34:11,854 --> 00:34:16,475
As they appear, say the font colour of which word aloud as quickly as you can.
530
00:34:16,475 --> 00:34:18,435
Here are some examples.
531
00:34:18,435 --> 00:34:21,861
The font colour of this word is red.
532
00:34:21,861 --> 00:34:28,028
Here it is green. And this one blue. So here it goes.
533
00:34:41,754 --> 00:34:44,769
Now try the test again with one small change.
534
00:34:44,769 --> 00:34:47,344
Remember you're calling out the font colours.
535
00:34:47,344 --> 00:34:48,207
Here we go.
536
00:35:04,923 --> 00:35:09,173
On that one, it could take people 50 percent longer to say each colour.
537
00:35:09,173 --> 00:35:14,360
This is called the 'Stroop effect', and it relies on interfering signals in your brain
538
00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,084
that compete for your attention.
539
00:35:17,365 --> 00:35:22,460
It's thought that colour s processed here in a path way known as the Ventral Stream.
540
00:35:22,460 --> 00:35:25,649
While the act of reading seems to be performed in other areas
541
00:35:25,649 --> 00:35:28,665
throughout the Occipital and Temporal Lobes.
542
00:35:29,835 --> 00:35:33,935
Here your attention filter is unable to dampen the brain's instinct
543
00:35:33,935 --> 00:35:38,541
to read the word itself and naming the font colour becomes difficult.
544
00:35:38,541 --> 00:35:43,598
It's an issue you probably encounter daily, when your brain's automatic functions
545
00:35:43,598 --> 00:35:46,389
interfere with your ability to perform.
546
00:35:47,981 --> 00:35:49,905
Here's a quick example.
547
00:35:49,905 --> 00:35:53,173
The common wisdom on your golf swing is 'Don't overthink it'.
548
00:35:55,882 --> 00:36:00,590
Your best swing is something your body performs automatically.
549
00:36:00,590 --> 00:36:05,081
relying on finely tuned muscle movements organised in the area of your brain
550
00:36:05,081 --> 00:36:07,315
known as the Motor Cortex.
551
00:36:07,315 --> 00:36:12,554
Worrying about the details of your swing, creates additional signals in various areas of your brain
552
00:36:12,554 --> 00:36:16,841
which interfere with the regions that know your best swing by heart.
553
00:36:19,354 --> 00:36:23,464
So, there's a problem. How can you turn off your brain's automatic efforts
554
00:36:23,464 --> 00:36:25,340
to adjust your swing?
555
00:36:27,298 --> 00:36:31,190
Neuroscientist Amir Raz is a professor at McGill University,
556
00:36:31,190 --> 00:36:36,769
who studies how attention forms in the brain by researching a method of attention manipulation.
557
00:36:36,769 --> 00:36:37,924
Hypnosis.
558
00:36:37,924 --> 00:36:41,746
It's a bit chilly in here, you may have noticed. But we're going to overcome it.
559
00:36:42,666 --> 00:36:47,869
Doctor Raz has found that through hypnosis some people can fine tune their attention
560
00:36:47,869 --> 00:36:52,619
by shuting down automatic signals that arise throughout areas of the brain.
561
00:36:52,619 --> 00:36:55,539
I'd like to establish some kind of relaxation protocol.
562
00:36:55,539 --> 00:37:03,801
Let's start from the breathing. Inhale, one, hold, two, hold, three, hold, close your eyes and exhale.
563
00:37:03,801 --> 00:37:05,256
Good.
564
00:37:05,256 --> 00:37:06,256
Very good.
565
00:37:07,656 --> 00:37:11,320
Every time you exhale you get even more relaxed.
566
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:16,266
Today he's working with Vegas' local Ali Ingrom into an ice bar to see if hypnosis
567
00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:21,836
is a powerful enough tool to convince her she's burning hot in the sub-freezing temperatures.
568
00:37:21,836 --> 00:37:27,074
When we are talking about hypnosis we are referring to situations where people
569
00:37:27,074 --> 00:37:34,752
can push their common everyday attention into an extreme dimension
570
00:37:34,752 --> 00:37:40,711
where attention can actually regulate and modulate their higher brain functions
571
00:37:40,711 --> 00:37:43,517
their emotions, their facts and their actions.
572
00:37:43,517 --> 00:37:48,370
If the hypnosis works, Alie should be able to override input of her brain
573
00:37:48,370 --> 00:37:52,156
that's trying to get her attention and tell her she's cold.
574
00:37:52,156 --> 00:37:58,508
Sleepy and drowsy. Very sleepy and very drowsy. Very good.
575
00:37:58,508 --> 00:38:01,785
Ok, we're all set. We're nice and relaxed.
576
00:38:01,785 --> 00:38:07,572
Now, notice something extreme that's happening. It's happening from within.
577
00:38:07,572 --> 00:38:09,899
You are generating heat.
578
00:38:09,899 --> 00:38:17,398
It's hot. You are getting hot. More and more hot.
579
00:38:17,398 --> 00:38:26,324
And as you're getting more and more hot, you can feel that you need to disrobe a little bit.
580
00:38:26,324 --> 00:38:28,822
Just do whatever you need to do to feel more comfortable.
581
00:38:28,822 --> 00:38:34,370
It's hot. It's really hot.
582
00:38:34,370 --> 00:38:39,805
As this heat wave is sort of coming over you, as you feel hot
583
00:38:39,805 --> 00:38:48,501
I'm gonna apologize. It's not something I can control, but not working the air-conditioning in here
584
00:38:48,501 --> 00:38:54,854
You know, it's not enough. Take all these layers off. It's so deep, it's at the core level.
585
00:38:54,854 --> 00:38:58,273
That seemed to work, but Dr. Raz goes further.
586
00:38:58,273 --> 00:39:01,438
It's beginning to get colder again.
587
00:39:01,438 --> 00:39:03,116
We don't want to freeze out here.
588
00:39:03,116 --> 00:39:07,706
Now he wants to see if Alie is capable of turning off other areas of her brain
589
00:39:07,706 --> 00:39:10,755
to forget something she's known since childhood.
590
00:39:10,755 --> 00:39:12,153
The number four.
591
00:39:12,153 --> 00:39:17,241
The concept of 'four'. We're going to temporarily erase it from your mind.
592
00:39:17,241 --> 00:39:22,299
All right. Alie can you count for me and point to my fingers as you count?
593
00:39:22,299 --> 00:39:32,630
One, two, three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.
594
00:39:36,230 --> 00:39:39,434
What's going on? -You have eleven fingers.
595
00:39:39,434 --> 00:39:41,820
Obviously, I don't, right?
596
00:39:41,820 --> 00:39:48,870
Dr Amir Raz has helped Alie temporarily erase the number four from her mind using hypnosis.
597
00:39:48,870 --> 00:39:50,469
Let me just show one hand.
598
00:39:50,469 --> 00:39:54,368
One, two, three, five, six.
599
00:39:55,698 --> 00:39:58,170
Is this possible?
600
00:39:58,676 --> 00:39:59,676
I wouldn't have thought so.
601
00:40:00,183 --> 00:40:03,151
How many wheels to a car? -Three.
602
00:40:03,151 --> 00:40:06,919
How many wheels to a tricycle? -Three.
603
00:40:06,919 --> 00:40:12,860
Can you sound out the word f-o-u-r to me? Just sound it out? -....
604
00:40:12,860 --> 00:40:14,410
Fo-we-er.
605
00:40:14,830 --> 00:40:18,013
What does that mean? -I have no idea.
606
00:40:18,243 --> 00:40:22,515
Have you heard that before? -Seems vaguely familiar.
607
00:40:22,515 --> 00:40:27,715
When Dr.Raz is done Alie can give back function to the areas of her brain
608
00:40:27,715 --> 00:40:30,831
she's turned off and regain access to the number four.
609
00:40:31,491 --> 00:40:37,338
Alie was able to suppress and create brain signals to achieve these tasks.
610
00:40:37,338 --> 00:40:41,151
Dr Raz is heading back to his lab, at McGill University,
611
00:40:41,151 --> 00:40:47,418
to see if under hypnosis one of his students can improve her performance on a test we've seen before.
612
00:40:47,418 --> 00:40:51,988
I'm gonna count to ten, and you're gonna get more and more sleepy as I speak to you.
613
00:40:51,988 --> 00:40:58,619
One, two... Every time you exhale you can feel you're getting deeper.
614
00:40:58,619 --> 00:41:02,151
Remember this test, where switching the colours of the words
615
00:41:02,151 --> 00:41:05,263
made identifying the font colours more difficult.
616
00:41:05,263 --> 00:41:09,066
Slowly and gently, calmly.. Raz is putting his student under hypnosis
617
00:41:09,066 --> 00:41:13,189
to see if she can suppress her brain's attempts to read the words
618
00:41:13,189 --> 00:41:16,162
allowing her to identify the font colours more quickly.
619
00:41:16,162 --> 00:41:18,031
That's right. Very good.
620
00:41:18,031 --> 00:41:21,631
To do this, he has to ask her to forget how to read English.
621
00:41:21,631 --> 00:41:25,814
You're gonna have all kinds of symbols appearing on the screen
622
00:41:25,814 --> 00:41:31,182
These symbols are gonna be in a foreign language that you don't know.
623
00:41:31,182 --> 00:41:34,785
But they're gonna be inked in all kinds of different colours.
624
00:41:34,785 --> 00:41:40,418
And, what I'd like you to do, is I'd like you to as quickly and as accurately as you can
625
00:41:40,418 --> 00:41:45,432
just respond by telling me the ink colour. Ok?
626
00:41:45,432 --> 00:41:47,240
Open your eyes.
627
00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:51,497
Here's a laptop. And I'm gonna put it in your lap, just like that
628
00:41:51,497 --> 00:42:02,333
What ink colour is this? -Green. Red. Yellow. Blue. Red.
629
00:42:02,333 --> 00:42:03,333
Great.
630
00:42:03,483 --> 00:42:10,591
Dr. Raz has carried out this test many times to find that under hypnosis people are much faster
631
00:42:10,591 --> 00:42:14,018
than average at calling out the colours.
632
00:42:14,018 --> 00:42:22,931
People under the hypnotic suggestion they're able to dampen down, to a degree, the quality of what they're seeing
633
00:42:22,931 --> 00:42:27,086
and they're getting the colour through but not the meaning of the word.
634
00:42:28,026 --> 00:42:32,945
His research suggests that through practices such as hypnosis and meditation
635
00:42:32,945 --> 00:42:37,646
you can begin to rewire your brain and increase your ability to focus
636
00:42:37,646 --> 00:42:40,787
boosting your performance at everyday tasks.
637
00:42:40,787 --> 00:42:43,490
I'm gonna show you something that's not completely... legal.
638
00:42:43,490 --> 00:42:48,570
But don't forget that if you missed the penguin, the rabbit or the person swap
639
00:42:48,570 --> 00:42:51,262
your brain was simply doing what it does best.
640
00:42:51,262 --> 00:42:55,419
Giving your full attention to what's important and ignoring what's not.
641
00:42:59,539 --> 00:43:01,947
Which brings us to the final question.
642
00:43:01,947 --> 00:43:05,348
At the beginning of the show, you were asked to pay attention.
643
00:43:05,348 --> 00:43:07,854
Did you?
644
00:43:07,854 --> 00:43:12,969
It's been an interesting ride, hasn't it? Should we play a game?
645
00:43:17,044 --> 00:43:20,716
If I show you a stack of pictures, would you be able to tell me which ones were from the show
646
00:43:20,716 --> 00:43:24,532
and which ones are merely a distraction?
647
00:43:39,750 --> 00:43:42,399
So, what's the answer? Yes, or no?
648
00:43:42,399 --> 00:43:44,546
I guess it depends on if you knew the question.
649
00:43:44,546 --> 00:43:47,244
Did you see the question?
650
00:43:53,919 --> 00:43:56,319
You just saw the four brains didn't you?
651
00:43:56,454 --> 00:43:58,687
So your attention is improving.
652
00:43:58,687 --> 00:44:05,551
In fact you probably saw all the oddly placed brains throughout the whole show. Didn't you?
653
00:44:08,327 --> 00:44:10,317
Red.- Great
654
00:44:13,475 --> 00:44:19,185
So if I they do this, that's one. Step out, step back in, that's two.
655
00:44:20,925 --> 00:44:23,262
It's terrifying being in a car with him.
656
00:44:23,262 --> 00:44:26,382
It's always been like this and I think it's getting worse.
657
00:44:30,153 --> 00:44:31,673
Can you stand up?
658
00:44:31,732 --> 00:44:33,162
Oh my god it was him!
659
00:44:33,203 --> 00:44:34,893
Oh that's totally embarassing.
660
00:44:37,264 --> 00:44:42,913
So, I guess it's true. It's not what you look at, it's what you see.