But this episode more than makes up for that dry spell!
Not that I had any problem with the content of the previous guests or their conversations—indeed, if I could have run into any of them and had those exact conversations, that probably would have been the highlight of my life. Or at least of the past few years. I don't run with such a distinguished crowd, I guess. Those episodes did have plenty of what I love most about listening to Sam Harris: erudition, common sense, and insight. The problem was, the guests just weren't that illuminating.
On the other hand, this Ian fellow has some intriguing and surprising knowledge to share. And, as his expertise is how the brain works, it is all not only revelatory, but impactful.
Ian's latest book covers the differences between the left and right hemispheres of the human brain. It is called The Master and His Emissary and he discusses some highlights on this podcast. Spoiler alert: the popular understanding of those differences—which I shared until yesterday—that the left brain handles reasoning and language, and the right brain is the seat of creativity? Misconception!
A lot of the discussion was based on case studies and medical history. They discuss strokes in the left brain which were no big deal—survivors were able to carry on pretty much as usual. But the right-brain strokes were debilitating—survivors had trouble making sense of the world.
Let's go back to that misconception that the left brain is logical, and the right brain is creative. Ian says both sides have creativity and both have logic, and the correct thing is not to ask what each side does, but rather, how.
But we don’t get to this immediately; we have to wade through an enormous interruption. Eventually we learn the how: the left brain is the spotlight and the right brain is the whole stage. Or, put it another way, the right brain is the master, and the left brain his emissary. Ian proposes the hypothesis that this distribution of function evolved from lower animals who needed to be able to focus on prey (left brain) while at the same time remaining aware of possible predators (right brain).
Another fascinating datuum is that the left brain, without the benefit of the right brain's context, cannot be trusted. Because what the left half doesn't understand, it makes up explanations which to an outsider can look completely nonsensical. Ian gives the example of someone after a right-brain stroke explaining that the immobile left hand next to them belongs to someone else, rather than recognize it as their own.
Other fascinating questions arise: for one, are we actually two distinct consciousnesses, one for each hemisphere? In which case we are only aware of one or the other at any given moment? Sam finds it "spooky" to imagine an unconscious self constantly looking over the shoulder of your conscious self. Another question: what is it like to be only your left brain? Or your right brain?
And some surprising facts come out: animals' brains are all divided in two, for all mammals and birds and reptiles, on down to fairly unevolved critters. Here's another curiosity: there's no connecting neurons in lower vertebrates (corpus callosum, in humans). Why not? It's also fascinating that if part of the human brain dies and facility is lost, the brain can teach itself to perform that function using a different part that doesn’t usually do it.
Finally, there are fascinating metaphysical discussed about whether the brain attenuates consciousness or propagates it? And what happens to our consciousness when we die?
They skirt a few times the issue of Dunning-Kruger incompetence and the recent veering of western civilization toward the jingoistic left brain and away from the nuanced right brain. The glaringly orange elephant in the room and his delusional followers are only obliquely mentioned, as well as the punishingly simplistic "wokerism." Ian points out that when a society fails, it is because things veer too far to the left brain, which is not able to recognize the interconnectedness of the society, but instead is all about grasping and acquiring and rationalizing the greediness with insane justifications.
I don't know about you, but I find it comforting to contemplate the current downward slide of western civilization as a mere artifact of the human brain. In a way, it kind of absolves any of us of responsibility.
