3 clues to understanding your brain | VS Ramachandran

www.ted.com Vilayanur Ramachandran tells us what brain damage can reveal about the connection between celebral tissue and the mind, using three startling delusions as examples.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
www.ted.com/ind...

[@guillermodozal628]

This guy’s intelligence is coming out from his ears. His heavy accent does not prevent him from his perfect English language delivery, using no verbal crutches: you know, and then, etc. And how informative his lecture was, with comedic twists here and there to top it off. He received a well-deserved standing ovation. I have a friend with a finger amputation with phantom pain. Hopefully the mirror box can help him.

[@istarninwa]

my, he's a genius! I've read dozens of articles on synesthesia and gave a couple presentations myself, but his level of explaining the matter at hand is just astonishing; I wish I could have this same kind of confidence when speaking: the energy is just radiating from him.

[@DiNozzo431]

I bought his book called "the tell-tale brain a neuroscientist's quest for what makes us human" and I haven't finished it yet but it is astonishing how our brain works! Definitely a recommendation

[@kumarwork]

VS Ramachandran arguably one of the best cognitive neuropsychologist of the modern era !!!

[@hetaldoshi4108]

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[@hetaldoshi4108]

Ssssssssss

[@hetaldoshi4108]

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[@hetaldoshi4108]

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[@hetaldoshi4108]

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[@sunako85]

The first item I ever bought online many years ago was the book he wrote, "Phantoms in the Brain". I loved the way he explained and narrated each cases. He makes you fall in love with neuropsychology. Amazing man

[@ReminiscentMelodies]

We watched the entire thing during my psych lecture and it was probably one of the most interesting supplementary videos I've ever watched in my lectures. I'm glad the prof let us watch the whole thing without skipping around.

[@imadetheurllonger]

Do you have professor Nolan by any chance?

[@chakravarthyshanker4040]

Bump (just curious)

[@surbhisinghi9929]

V.S ramachandran is my professor and it's cool AF

[@Daffodil956]

​@@surbhisinghi9929what a genius

[@piposcat]

Where does he teach?

[@cutifat]

What a genius! I can't wait to try this on my dad's painful arm. Much obliged to Dr Ramachandran. Every time I hear his speech, it feels like I'm getting smarter. A real pleasure to know and listen to this great scientist.

[@guruprasadpk8709]

Jessie Hsu HAVE YOU TRIED IT...

[@cutifat]

@@Rokmononov I think it would if I dad had been willing to try...

[@anupamaa.acharya288]

Genius and one who made neuroscience accessible to anyone interested. Amazing, beyond words!

[@newvisionfit]

this man is a fucking genius

[@myonlynickjonas]

Had a few classes with him at UCSD. He was awesome because his lectures were fun and his exams were easy. He cared more about his students being curious and wanting to learn.

[@harrisonsmith8012]

Great talk! Also, at 23:41 you can see Richard Branson!

[@navigate2676]

yup noticed that too ahaha

[@Gourmeticainsularis1]

The tenor of his voice and how he explains thing reminds me of Feynman.

[@thelastcube.]

that might just be one of the best compliments he's gotten

[@eima7644]

It does!

[@myonlynickjonas]

during one of his lectures at ucsd he actually referenced Feynman and mentioned how all of these phenomenons add beauty to science, referencing Feynman's the pleasure of findings things out.

[@alexdiaz1492]

Im a current student at CSU, Monterey Bay and when I saw this took place at Monterey, I felt a sense of pride but also jealous that I wasn't there to hear the TED talk. Can't wait to start pursuing graduate school.

[@zeake13]

One of the best neuroscientist ever. I just read his book Phantoms in the brain. Amazing book.

[@Bix12]

this guy is brilliant - he's been blowing my mind since the 80's. About 7 years ago, my right leg had to be amputated. The damage to my leg was so extensive they had to perform a procedure which was termed a "radical" amputation. In other words, my entire right leg including my entire right hip were removed. Basically, there is nothing below that part of my torso which you might refer to as your waist. Pretty radical, indeed. Since then, I have experienced some truly bizzare phantom limb sensations...everything from tiny, barely detectable feelings of applied pressure, to varying degrees of "pins and needles" sensations, all the way up to bouts of excrutiating, and often blinding, pain. What's been especially strange is most of the time, regardless of intensity or duration, these phantom sensations are location specific to an extremely precise degree. For instance, I might feel a throbbing ache in my upper (nonexistent) leg, say in the region of the lower thigh, or a sharp stabbing sensation like a pin stab on my knee..on the outer, lower portion right at the edge of my kneecap...in other words, the exact point where the pin pierces my flesh...or the toe next to my pinkie toe itches terrifically. I experience these sensations on a daily basis. At times it becomes quite maddening.

[@dominiquequirke3802]

Wow so interesting! Have you tried the mirror work?

[@sundhukumar]

Really sorry for your loss .. God bless you...... appreciate your courage.....

[@ramadeshraju3391]

I wish you only happiness and relief from all your pain. Please look after yourself well and stay healthy always.

[@tiekoe]

'The latent bestiality in all humans'. I lost it

[@dhriajbhandari]

did you not understand that V Ramachandran is showing how ridiculous Freud's explanation actually is?

[@1q3er5]

one of the funnier ted talks I've seen. He kept it interesting and informative.

[@A2Z029ization]

Such a brilliant guy. Sad that such talks get views in the order of thousands but rebecca black gets millions.

[@Joeltheactor]

that's just because their are more children on the internet. Share and it will have more views. That's what children love to do..share

[@Suave007]

Hip hop is so bad now.. And I'm a millennial, the effects it has on some of my peers... Oh boy. But there's hope, for the # Keeping of America being Great is happening. Just as the midterm elections approach... God I hope those pedos burn.

[@avedic]

I love how he rolls his Rs. Good speaker. Really enjoyed his book....I think it was called Phantoms in the Brain or something like that. Read it many years ago and I still think about it to this day.

[@abhijithrambo]

"There is no disembodied pain" That's the sentence that got my attention 🤔🤔

[@mrreman]

Fantastic talk. Vilayanur Ramachandran - a great book Phantoms in the Brain: Human Nature and the Architecture of the Mind

[@MrFrankBullitt]

This is great. These TED talks should be mandatory high school curriculum; think about how many young kids would be inspired to pursue paths they wouldn't even have known about.

[@dynanananaay8774]

Ikr!!

[@unlearn15]

This is like entertainment for me. So informative and he tells it in a way that captivates your attention. Great stuff.

[@Brom24]

Y'know i slept in virtually every neuroscience lecture in my class last year, but now I"m hanging on to every word this guy's saying...

[@sangitaekka]

I can watch this million times over!! Pure brilliance!

[@rzr82]

This is one of my favorite talks from TED. The brain is so fascinating.

[@KuldeepSharma-uf3sh]

awesome talk and God knows why but such a good to hear voice

[@demydevil]

God used to say unbelieveable?

[@etheangel2220]

I like this guy. His style, energy, passion, and curiosity in his field strongly remind me of Richard Feynman. I just read the 1st chapter of Pantoms in the Brain and cant believe how terribly interesting the subject matter is.

[@AnkitRahate]

mahn this vid jst blew my mind, LITERALLY, watchd it at 2 AM and now im scared of my own brain!!, this stuff was raw intel

[@papasitoman]

I love these Tedtalks videos. Great presentation. From a young age I learned that different chords on my guitar had different colours and I tried to explain it to people and they just couldn't get it. Thanks for sharing this great video.

[@MidnightSt]

it's 2022, i'm watching this talk for probably 30th time, and it's still as fascinating (and amusing) as it was in 2007 when I watched it for the first time.

[@Stickstacks12]

Anyone who liked this would love his book "Phantoms in the Brain". Same kind of stuff just more detail and variety along with some really amazing implications and theories that weren't brought up in this speech. Go Rama!

[@TomatoDoom]

I love how he rolls r's. He's fun to listen to. :D

[@ramadeshraju3391]

That’s exactly how we in south of India speak. It just makes me love the talk even more

[@tunnelvision2681]

This is pure genius. I remember him coming to our college (He's from the same Indian city as me) and I remember the entire audience leaving the hall in a complete daze. Brilliant stuff!!

[@abhiubarhande3610]

best indian neurologist I've ever encountered

[@ahker88]

That's exactly why I am here. But when I started to realize that this guy was so awesome and that he knew exactly what he was talking about, I started to watch the rest of his videos and read more about him. The man is a genius in his field. Thank you Kojima for bringing us here.

[@profFlavioNotaroberto]

He deserves Nobel Prize for he taught us how we have to understand the functioning of the brain.

[@1simonmatthews]

1. When I wake up after falling asleep listening to a radio discussion, for a brief moment I don't understand the sounds coming from the radio, but then I remember it's English. Who am I for this brief moment? Punch me when I wake up and I'll feel it! The experiencer is there instantly, before any understanding of who you are, where you are, or what planet you're on. I believe it may be the experiencer who goes through the brain and assembles the character from the info inside. Continued...

[@nirv]

This video used to be called "A journey to the center of your mind." Why was it renamed?

[@falgorian1]

The power within our brains to adapt is really something to marvel.

[@kaganesa]

this man is so brilliant! i really enjoy reading his articles in SA Mind.

[@swizzlesticksnap]

23:42 - Richard Branson! How's that for face recognition?!

[@happyness01]

How wonderful to get such quality information! I sustained a severe injury and lost many of my cognitive functions. Very intersting

[@arlrmr7607]

Rama's delight in the subject matter is the secret sauce. We are blissfully captured.

[@nea0496]

Back when ted was really cool

[@videos4sharat]

True i agree

[@freepagan]

Great talk. The only thing Ramachandran is missing from his brilliant analyses is that consciousness is fundamental. The human brain is unique and powerful, no doubt; but it was formed and works through consciousness, and not the reverse. Philosophers and some scientists (alan watts, amit goswami, etc), are supporting this, as they're finding more and more evidence for it.

[@rogerd7646]

Riveting talk about human cognition. His passion for his field rubs on you. You should be lucky if you are one of his students.

[@ashhazz01]

Ramachandran is pure genius

[@ankushtagore4299]

I am an Engineer yet comes to watch it every year.

[@VR_JPN]

My God. What an amazing person.

[@Tenorio74]

He's channeling Sir Sean Connery.... and got some mad skills to match!!!

[@manasyoga]

GREAT COLOURING ON A GREY DAY!

[@mumtazahmad-yt9ck]

Best neuroloscientist

[@RzzRBladezofoccham]

Awesome speech by *Ramachandran*

[@MrChristianRC]

Talk about creative thinking with regard to the mirror box. Amazing...

[@LRXC1]

one of the few amazing videos i've been required to watch for a class.

[@dejureclaims8214]

Goodness, he rolls those Rs...

[@Loshram]

thats the south indian accent kicking in. lol

[@edjrage7745]

His accent is incredibly "American" for an Indian.

[@ZnNlove]

They see me rolling, they hatin....

[@nitinvj5035]

well thats just a stereotype of americans, mate. We Indians largely speak in a very similar accent to amerians and not like kuthrapali in the big bang theory :) For example the accent in which you read this whole comment is what you should imagine i was thinking it in while writing it ;)

[@Ab_someone]

like a boss

[@johnyprestige]

i favourited this after 1 min,had me hooked completley.

[@pauldirc..]

How are you doing now

[@seshanm54]

I think he is the most brilliant man whom I have never met

[@jeembomb]

I love listening to this guy so much

[@Squirlol]

"Emergent" as a property has a slightly different meaning to "emerge" as a physical verb, it does really mean in this sense that it does "come in to existence as it leaves the body of water". An emergent property is something which only exists because of the conformation of the parts to each other, but isn't a property of any of the individual parts. See, for example, "emergent gameplay" in (video, and other) games for an example of emergent properties, the wikipedia article is pretty good.

[@Uubermensch]

My hypothesis when i saw the "Kiki" Vs "Booba" was that kiki has shapes that is similar to "K" and booba has shapes similar to "B", so we just associate. I do agree with Ramachandran in the end.

[@Squirlol]

It's difficult to imagine "dead stuff" (or rather nonliving) becoming "living" but this really does seem to be what happens. The discovery about 10 years ago of Riboswitches (see wikipedia) and the further eludication of RNA-catalysed reactions is starting to give us some insight in to a possible living system with only RNA and small molecules, this is a HUGE step towards being able to explain how life developed originally. The difference between simple RNA systems and whole cells is staggering!

[@sumeyya007]

w o w i am gobsmacked!!!! this guy is truly gifted

[@DinoDiniProductions]

This guy is a true genius.

[@deepicasso]

Excellent talk. Ramachandran made it extremely interesting.

[@Truthiness231]

We've come further than you might think, but the inner workings of animal brains are incredibly complex.

[@alexQw33]

This is why I hate prime time TV and love YouTUBE. Thanks for sharing this pieces of amazing scientific thinking.

[@EclairPerversePastry]

That was SO AMAZING. Now I want to do what this guy does for a living.

[@bedouialhoussein8486]

do u know ?

[@haribharadwaj1]

Now if the answer exists and doesn't 'make sense' to a human being, that doesn't mean its false. Example - Quantum Physics violates a lot of our conventional rationality. But the theory explains it with such astounding accuracy. This is the genius of theoretical physics. It lets us shed our ego completely and acknowledge that even at our best, our sense of real and not real is limited by the rules of nature relevant at OUR scale. But a mathematical model doesn't have this limitation.

[@jeseavery]

im really glad i found this

[@Kingslyt]

Simply amazing... Once of the best TED videos. :-)

[@johnshahla5042]

The man is a legend

[@Talonades]

What a total legend

[@GregoryFesto]

Yeah, truely brilliant work he's doing.

[@andyrooney12]

@EveryTongueShallTell The word is "autodidact" and, although I'm not one myself, I do teach myself new things all the time. I have been fortunate enough to obtain a Bachelor's degree already so I have received formal education but I've learned a lot more from informal education (things such as watching this video by Ramachandran) than I did in college.

[@sreek91]

richard branson @ 23:42 !

[@frepi]

He has the charisma of a rock star!

[@ruchikamallick9285]

You, Sir, are a genius!

[@TheDoodleZone]

I love my Synesthesia!

[@elquemando]

Kipling challenged us to fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run. Listening to Dr. Ramachandran well surpasses that test.

[@maddy3187]

that's richard branson in the last

[@Uubermensch]

relieving such pain does seem nobel prize worthy!

[@GeorgePowell1]

fyi his books are very interesting; he's got two: "Phantoms in the Brain" and "The Tell-Tale Brain"

[@derekonlinenow777]

Wow, this was really amazing!

[@ParaditeRs]

That last example he showed enlightened me a little bit. I often do exactly what he describes. I've never known what it really was or why I do it nor was I really able to explain it.

[@dwreckshop]

This guy roles his R's like a boss.

[@Loshram]

its the south indian accent. lol. sounds like nixon sometimes..

[@ooLevityoo]

I love the way he rolls his 'R's so naturally

[@YashGulia008]

I am suffering from a phantom that VS Ramachandran is the best Ted Speaker.

[@CarManElectric]

Fitting all of that into 25minutes. He's brilliant.

[@19marquee]

interesting and exciting talks!! i wanna know what i am, and human's mind, consciousness. it's one of the most important mysteries in science.

[@ligyro]

Thank you for posting this. The player on the original site doesn't seem to be working out well for me and I really wanted to see this video so I searched KZbin.

[@1simonmatthews]

I agree. I studied machine code programming for years and took it to quite an advanced level. One of my programs was the subject of a popular discussion on the World Of Spectrum website, who have asked me to share my coding. So logic is something that became very important to me. Without logic your programs will fail. Saying that the Big Bang was the ultimate beginning just doesn't sit right with me, and I'm quietly confident that this will be the case with mainstream science in the future.

[@senthilveeran1723]

One of my favourite entrepreneurs, Richard Branson at 23:41

[@MugenMag]

Interesting stuff I wish it had some kind of great point.

[@Rajking01]

Vilayanur Subramanian Ramachandran (in accordance with some Tamil family name traditions, his family name, Vilayanur, is placed first) was born in 1951 in Tamil Nadu, India.

[@andyrooney12]

The content of this man's lecture is obviously wonderful but what I couldn't help but think about was his accent...it sounds like a mix of Indian & Scottish. Awesome.

[@Barkingspider]

i wish i had his genius!

[@1simonmatthews]

This particular part of our argument stemmed from my saying that I didn't think the universe (by universe I mean everything that has ever existed, anywhere, any dimension, any time, etc.) started 13.7 billion years ago, so whether it is cyclic, infinite, finite or whatever does make a difference.

[@lisafoster7518]

I can relate to the "phantom body parts" I feel that even when you lose parts of your body it may be too much for you which is why some are driven to suicide which is why maybe the brain gives you the phantom arm in order to not "shock" you so quickly. The brain does learn eventually learn which is amazing to me because the brain really does "learn" that the arm isn't moving so eventually the phantom arm is paralyzed because the brain knows the arm isn't moving. The pain being relieved when the phantom arm is "moved" because of the visual sensory experience makes his theory right that the brain "learns" paralysis.

[@marymacphail3112]

Lisa Foster ;8

[@marymacphail3112]

Lisa Fost