Deviate

The Science of Seeing Differently

By: Beau Lotto

Narrated by: Beau Lotto

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Perception is the foundation of human experience, but few of us understand how our own perception works. By revealing the startling truths about the brain and perception, Beau Lotto shows that the next big innovation is not a new technology: it is a new way of seeing.

In his first major book, Beau Lotto draws on over a decade of pioneering research to show how our brains play tricks on us. With an innovative combination of case studies and optical and perception illusion exercises, Deviate will revolutionise the way you see the world.

With this new understanding of how the brain works and its perceptive trickery, we can apply these insights to every aspect of life and work. Deviate is not just an engaging look into the neuroscience of thought, behaviour and creativity; it is a call to action, enlisting listeners in their own journeys of self-discovery.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2017 Beau Lotto (P)2016 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Eye opening

Explained many things well beyond what knowledge can explain. Indeed I knew a lot of the information even experiments described here, however Lotto put that knowledge in an understandable framework. Loved chapter 9 and the role of conflict. Also his way of looking into creativity at companies was quite interesting. I recommend this book to both Neuroscientists and everyone curious about their own curiosity!

Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently - Review

Major and noteworthy Concepts dealt with in the book are as follows
1. Uncertainty
2. Environment and Ecology of Perception
3. Assumptions
4. Demolishing old Assumptions
5. Creativity
6. Delusion
7. Ignorance
8. Deviation
Uncertainty is the key principle that triggered evolution. By attempting to resolve uncertainty the brain Learns, Develops and Evolves. These three are not distinct concepts but are related to each other Learning leads to development and development in the long term results in evolution. We human beings attempted to overcome uncertainty by creating structures and institutions that will guide us through. For instance the creation of State, Government and its apparatus like the administrative system, socio-cultural processes, religion everything is an attempt to resolve uncertainty. These structures and institutions infuses confidence in the human beings and helps them see some hope for the future about which man is totally in dark. These helps stabilizing the emotions and provides emotional balance to the human being. But unfortunately human beings become enslaved by the very systems that they create to overcome uncertainties.
Human brains have a lot of assumptions and the assumptions lead to perceptions which in turn produce thoughts. The assumptions are of two types namely those which we have at birth and those we learn from the societies. Therefore, the Human brain is not a “blank slate”. There are many innate assumptions, for instance we fear snakes which is by birth. There are other assumptions that we learn. For example the fear of height is one we learn. Studies have shown that human beings have found snakes to be threats and identified other organisms like frogs not as threats.
The assumptions help in making perceptions’ which in turn help generating both useful thoughts. At times the perception may generate thoughts which would be against the general belief and create strong convictions that maybe beneficial to the society. The author Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh who gave her life and saved Nigeria from the Ebola epidemic. She advocated to quarantine Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American Lawyer when she diagnosed him to be infected by Ebola. The conviction led sacrifice is due to the strong perception she had.
There are many socially learned assumptions which impacts the human brain strongly and creates perception. Such learned assumptions create biases in the human mind. Most of the Western societies have a negative perception that the Black American youth are criminals and so they must be feared.
The human senses match the complexity of the ecology. In fact the ecology shapes the brain and the perceptions. The author suggests that the children must be given a health ecology for positive learning. Human tries to innovate by trial and error and this requires an appropriate environment. The brain attempts to deviate and change by constant engagement with the surroundings. This is the way learning takes place. Learning, Development and Evolution are interrelated. Development is the consequence of learning and the long term development is evolution. The brain matches its environment, both for good and for bad. The cerebral cortex becomes more complex in an “enriched” environment – or less complex in an “impoverished” environment. Marian and other discovered that this matching ability enriches the physical makeup of the brain through the release of growth factors that lead to the growth of brain cells and the connections between them. To develop is to deviate. For deviating the brain must get away from the past. All perceptions are shaped by the past.
But living is empirical and is based on the possibilities. Human brain can be trained to have as many possibilities as possible. The broader outlook one has the more the possibilities the brain would develop. The human perceptions are not unidimensional. They are multidimensional and multi-layered. The past history gets collected layer over layer and form the perceptions

Very thought provoking!

I found this gem via a recommendation from a friend and I sure am thanking him for this. Pretty much sums up a whole bunch of different books and if like Kahneman or Nassim Talib, this is a must for you.