Neil deGrasse Tyson on UFOs and Logical Fallacies

I haven't watched the video yet, but I disagree completely with him if he refers to optical illusions as 'brain failures'.

How do you know that something is an optical illusion? Because your brain figured out that its optical processing center was being tricked. It's a victory for logic over 'mere' visual processing.

When he's talking about the brain failure it's in the context of visual processing, so you guys are in agreement.

That visual process is not a failure. It was survival mechanism to recognize a situation and make a decision of fight or flight.

I think the statement will make more sense in the context of the video. Give it a watch, I think he's entertaining.

will do.... as soon as I can.

Thanks. He gets the point across in a very entertaining way.

He does! I like his energy. I'd also like some of that energy.

Grrr.... for some reason the link I provided above took you to the wrong part of the video. I was referring to the first part of the video. Hopefully this link will take you there correctly...

Easy... Down,.... down.... eeeeasyyyy....

lol, I just wanted an excuse to use the new video embed tool (pretty cool!)

It is cool.... ^{when it works}

Video played, but I don't have speakers on this computer (other location since I got re-stationed / re-purposed. Treacherous younger generation has no respect for its elders.

They wear their caps backward too. How dumb is that?

LynDoorInd ^® is developing a cap with a 360° bill.

We're going to call it a hat.

Wow,.. You guys work fast. ^{When money is on the line}

It's already on the market..

Yes. I'm sure many will say, "why didn't I think of that"?

Thatth not a hat; it'th a pith helmet.

Party pooper

What a pithy thing to say about that hat.

Is there a class action lawsuit against LynDoorInd ^® future

Pothibly.

Optical illusions could be better referred to as 'visual dissonance' or 'optical dissonance'.

'Brain failure' is insufficiently specific. There are far too many common occurrences that might be described as 'brain failure' so without further clarification it would be impossible to tell if someone was referring to; optical illusions, homeopathy, breatharianism, accepting religious tales as factual records of actual events, keeping big cats as house pets, believing in the honesty of politicians, etc.

I've often called all this "brain strain." (Something I heard someplace else years ago.)

Reminds me of the guy in Wales who rang the police emergency number (999 in the UK), to report a UFO hovering over a nearby mountain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7489457.stm

It turned out to be a full moon.

Too much pub juice, or too much watching tele-tubbies.

As usual someone who likes the sound of their own voice.

Why produce a picture when you can say a thousand words - especially to describe an optical illusion.

He spoke 15 minutes before he said anything....not that I could make out what he said due to poor age related loss of hearing in the speech range.

Watching the computer screen here is an optical illusion of a person talking - and being a 'trick' played on my brain does that mean I should distrust what is being said/seen...? ignore it.....?

Is CR4 an illusion ? Phoenix, Lyn, Andy - are you illusions ? - generated by the 'Matrix' to keep me amused until the day I 'die' when the machines take me out of the pot for fuel ???

I like the guy, but you're right.

Saw him on a panel of other physicists and he talked over them. He is really into himself.

When others talked, it looked like he listened, but really didn't. (Almost a Sheldon Cooper-like)

Here's something to think about.

And I not an illusion,.... because I was never here.