So, I'm a Buddhist now.

[Despanan]

Hey Dex, Sam: have you guys listened to the latest Cracked Podcast? It's really interesting and at least the first half plays into alot of interesting ideas that are somewhat related to my own practice of chanting:

https://soundcloud.com/crackedpod/mind- ... sciousness

I was not familiar with Neuroplasticity earlier but it's pretty damn interesting, and I kinda want to read the book they're talking about now:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity

[dexeron]

I don't have time to listen to a podcast right now (ok, honestly, I just don't want to, because it would mean pausing Hamilton, and I've been kind of obsessed with that shit for the last few weeks, so you get to take a back-seat to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Nothing personal.) That said, neuroplasticity is freaking amazing. Human Echolocation is one of the coolest examples of how neural pathways can be re-purposed and used in new ways.

So, full disclosure, I haven't listened to it. Reading the description of the pod-cast, they really write it like they're going to play a bunch of "god of the gaps" nonsense. I hope that's not the tone it took. Either way, I should point out that there's a huge difference between admitting that "Western medicine"* doesn't know everything yet, and using that as an excuse to just latch onto any and every idiotic alternative idea or rhino-penis remedy. We might not quite understand how consciousness works. That admitted deficiency in our understanding is not proof in the other direction that consciousness is anything mystical.

Is it as "lol we're so ironic we can't discuss anything completely seriously" as a lot of their video series are? Cause that "wow so edgy" schtick gets old really quick. Anyway, I'll try to listen to it later.


*

[Despanan]

That's not the direction they go into it - they're talking about Norman Doige's book: http://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259

They talk about stuff that shouldn't be able to happen according to previous medical theories like confirmed cases where people who have suffered brain death are still able to play pong when you hook an interface up to their brains, or autistic children who were able to learn to speak by listening to Gregorian chants.

And no, the podcasts are serious. The primary pitfall of them are sometimes they take a topic and run WAY too far with it way too fast.

[dexeron]

It does sound interesting. I'll have to check it out later. Got to work on make-up homework with my kid tonight, but maybe I can find time to listen tomorrow at work. That seems to be the best time for me to listen to stuff. :)

[Despanan]

It's good, though it goes a bit off the rails in the second half and they just start speculating about stuff.

[Agent]

I'm sorry Desp. You may be insufferable but I was reminded that there are white people who belive in tulpas so in comparison you haven't really done anything wrong.

[Despanan]

Okay, I'll take that for what it's worth.

[dexeron]

I remember the episode of Supernatural about Tulpas. I think it was one of the "Ghost Facers" episodes.

[Nemuri]

WHOA WHOA WHOA what is going on here

guys just shut up shut up shut up

[Despanan]

Yeah, it's pretty much like this now.