The Reality of Reality - A Tale of Five Senses

Explore the fascinating world of sensory perception in this 1-hour 12-minute panel discussion from the World Science Festival. Delve into the intricacies of how our senses evolved for survival rather than accurate representation of reality. Discover how sense organs receive, process, and transmit information to the brain, and contemplate the potential for future technologies to enhance our sensory experiences. Join neuroscientists and philosophers as they challenge conventional understanding of perception through demonstrations, illusions, and thought-provoking discussions. Examine topics such as perceptual biases, the neural basis of decision-making, olfactory illusions, the contextual nature of the brain, and the concept of umwelt. Explore phenomena like synesthesia, the rubber hand illusion, and the influence of emotions on sensory perception. Question whether an independent reality exists and ponder the possibility of possessing more than just five senses in this eye-opening adventure that redefines our understanding of reality and perception.

- Program introduction
- Beau Lotto perceptual biases demonstrations
- Panelist introductions
- What is accurate perception?
- Neural basis of decision biases
- The illusion of smell
- “The dress” photo illusion
- Has our survival relied on one sense more than another?
- Contextual nature of the brain demonstration
- Does an independent reality exist?
- The umwelt
- How we perceive change
- Expectations vs. evidence in the sensory world
- Do some senses work faster than others?
- How does high emotion affect our senses?
- Synesthesia
- Neural networks studying perception
- The rubber hand illusion
- Do we really only have 5 senses?
- Parting thoughts on reality vs. perception