"The
best questions are the ones
that create the most uncertainty"
Beau Lotto (neuroscientist)
«... I want to tell you a story about seeing differently, and
all new perceptions begin in the same way. They
begin with a question. The
problem with questions is they create uncertainty. Now,
uncertainty is a very bad thing. It's evolutionarily a
bad thing. If you're not sure that's a predator, it's too late. Even
seasickness is a consequence of uncertainty. If you go down below on a boat, your inner ears are telling you you're moving. Your eyes, because it's
moving in register with the boat, say I'm standing still. Your
brain cannot deal with the uncertainty of that information, and it
gets ill. The
question "why?" is one of the most dangerous things you can
do, because
it takes you into uncertainty. And
yet, the irony is, the only way we can ever do
anything new is to step into that space. So
how can we ever do anything new? Well fortunately, evolution
has given us an answer. And
it enables us to address even the most difficult of
questions. The best questions are the ones that create the most
uncertainty. They're
the ones that question the things we think to be true already. It's
easy to ask questions about how did life begin, or
what extends beyond the universe, but to question what you think to
be true already is
really stepping into that space...»
«What is evolution's answer to the problem of uncertainty? It's
play. Now play is not simply a process. Experts in play will
tell you that actually it's a way of being. Play is one of
the only human endeavors where uncertainty is actually
celebrated. Uncertainty is what makes play fun. It's adaptable to
change. It opens possibility, and it's cooperative. It's
actually how we do our social bonding, and it's intrinsically
motivated. What that means is that we play to play. Play is its
own reward.»
To know more about Lotto work on perception (don't miss the 13:25 min... beautiful!)