To the extent that consciousness is useful, it is useful in small quantities, and for very particular kinds of tasks. It's easy to understand why you would not want to be consciously aware of the intricacies of your muscle movement, but this can be less intuitive when applied to your perceptions, thoughts, and beliefs, which are also final products of the activity of billions of nerve cells.
From the Blog
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Book extract from "The Brain: The Story of You" in the Financial Times
Our drive to come together into groups yields a survival advantage — but it has a dark side.
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Perception on TNT
I was the scientific advisor for the TNT television drama,Perception, starring Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook. Learn more about the show.
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British musician Jarvis Cocker reads from Sum
Hear British rocker Jarvis Cocker read the short story "Descent of Species" from Sum.
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Profile in The New Yorker
I had the pleasure of being profiled by my favorite magazine, The New Yorker. Read the article here.
In other news...
SUM is Book of the Year: Chicago Tribune
SUM was chosen as the best book of 2009 by Chicago Tribune's Pulitzer-winning literary critic Julia Keller.
New Scientist time story
New Scientist magazine features David Eagleman's time perception research as their cover story.
How the Internet will save civilization
David's iPad app "Why the Net Matters, or Six Ways to Avert the Collapse of Civilization" was recently called a "superbook" by the New York Times Magazine. For a taste of the argument, read David's article in WIRED or watch a video of his talk at the Long Now Foundation. Don't have an iPad? The manuscript is now available as an eBook.
