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Ancient evidence suggests
humans have practiced religion
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since they first walked
the planet.
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But is God being worshiped
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in the other worlds
across the cosmos?
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The answers might be buried
here on earth...
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...in animals
that mourn their dead,
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in robots who learn
to experience spirituality,
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and in an equation so powerful,
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it could one day kill
the idea of God.
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Is earth the universe's
only home for religion...
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...or is God an alien concept?
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Space, time, life itself.
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The secrets of the cosmos
lie through the wormhole.
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Subtitles by MemoryOnSmells
http://UKsubtitles.ru.
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For thousands of years,
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humans have gazed up
at the heavens
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and contemplated the divine.
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But today, we also wonder
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what other forms of life
might be out there.
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It's possible that
some of those points of light
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are home
to advanced civilizations.
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What do the aliens think when
they look up at their skies?
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Perhaps they pray
to a higher power like we do.
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Is the concept of God
truly universal?
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Growing up, I was told
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the Bible could help answer
questions that baffled my mind,
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questions like, "why am I here?"
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It made me wonder if I was the
only one pondering these things.
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What if there are aliens
somewhere in the universe?
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Are they looking to God
for answers, too?
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Are all creatures born asking
the same burning question?
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Why?
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Why?
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Why?
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Deb Kelemen is
a renowned child psychologist
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at Boston university's
child cognition lab.
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She deals with clients
who demand answers.
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Around 3 or 4 years of age,
as any parent will tell you,
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your kid starts to ask you
lots of "why?" Questions.
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Why do we have ears?
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Why does a pig roll in mud?
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It seems constant,
the "why, why, why, why, why?"
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Why do numbers never stop?
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Some of that's just to kind of
get a conversation started,
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but a lot of it is because children have
these really strong explanatory urges.
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We've been interested in
the kinds of explanations
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children seem to naturally
generate for themselves
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and which kinds of explanations
they find palatable.
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Most religious texts,
including the Bible,
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teach that a divine mind
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created everything around us
for a purpose.
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Deb designed a study
to see if our brains
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innately think of the world
in that way.
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Hey, Gabrielle.
You ready?
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All right.
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All around the country,
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there were
these pointy kinds of rocks,
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rocks with points on the top.
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Why do you think
the rocks were so pointy?
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One person thought
they were pointy
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because little bits of stuff piled up on
top of one another over a very long time.
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Another person thought
they were pointy
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so animals could scratch on them
when they got itchy.
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Which answer
makes more sense to you?
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The one with the scratch.
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Okay.
So they could scr...
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Animals.
Okay.
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Gabrielle prefers to believe
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that pointy rocks
were created for a purpose...
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to scratch those
hard-to-reach places on animals.
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Deb poses questions like this
to kids of all ages,
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and most of them favor
the same purpose-based answers.
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There were these ponds
that never had any waves.
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One person thought
they were still
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so that animals
could cool off in the them
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without getting washed away.
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Another person thought
they were still
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because no moving water
ever ran into them.
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Which answer?
So they could be cool.
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So they could be cool.
Okay.
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On balance what we
found from about 4 years of age
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and it gets stronger
by about 7 or 8 years of age
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is that children prefer
purpose-based explanations
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for all kinds
of natural phenomena.
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What they are seeming
to show signs of is something
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that we see recurrently across
the religions of the world,
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is this kind... this idea
that there is some purpose,
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that things exist
for a purpose potentially
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because of some intentional
agent's purpose.
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Once we are taught
how nature works,
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we learn that rocks are not
concerned with itchy animals.
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Rather, they go through
geological cycles
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and become pointy.
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Our purpose-based explanations
seem to go away.
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But is there a part of our brain
that still believes them?
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To find out, Deb designed
a pointy-rock test for adults.
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In some cases, very highly
scientifically educated adults
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who have a very strong bias against
purpose-based explanations
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of natural phenomena,
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and what we did
was to ask them to look at
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a series
of purpose-based explanations
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under conditions of speed, so
they had to respond very quickly
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based on their gut reactions.
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Deb has found that most
adults, when pressed for time,
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tend to prefer
purpose-based explanations.
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One thing that we're really
phenomenal at as human beings
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is reasoning about purposes
and thinking about
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intentionally designed
or intentionally caused things
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comes very easily to us.
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And so the kinds of explanations
that you see in religions
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tap very much into very core
aspects of human intelligence.
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Many adults consciously
reject creationist explanations,
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but at our core,
we appear prone to believe
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all things
were created for a reason.
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If there are intelligent aliens
out there,
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would they have
the same instincts that we do?
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Would they see divine forces
at work wherever they look?
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If they have something that's equivalent
to a human evolutionary pathway
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but also something similar
to a human cultural context,
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that they would be generating
purpose-based explanations
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and potentially
even religious explanations.
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Do aliens believe in God?
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We might be more inclined
to think so
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if we knew
that other animals on earth
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shared our innate need
to believe.
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Joshua plotnik
is a comparative psychologist
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in Northern Thailand.
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He has come
to this remote jungle
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to learn about the brains
of a non-human species.
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I've set up
a research center here
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where we're able to study
elephant intelligence
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using the 26 elephants
that are based here.
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Joshua's research group,
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think elephants international,
is a proving ground
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for the finer points
of elephant psychology.
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I would say
that they are certainly
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one of the most intelligent
species in the animal kingdom.
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The more we learn
about elephant cognition,
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the more we learn about
the evolution
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of behavior and intelligence
in general.
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Joshua wants to find
out if there are parallels
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between elephant intelligence
and our intelligence.
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Oh, okay.
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He's interested in a behavior
that we humans do every day...
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take a look at ourselves
in a mirror.
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Humans take this
for granted, right?
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We wake up in the morning,
we brush our teeth,
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we groom ourselves,
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but we don't really
think about the fact
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that actually that ability to
recognize yourself in the mirror
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may be a complex
cognitive capacity
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that we call self-awareness.
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Is self-awareness something
only humans are capable of,
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or do elephants also have
this sophisticated ability?
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Come on.
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To find out,
Joshua has set up an experiment
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that requires
one mammoth mirror.
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This is Sum Ji.
He's one of our males.
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He's 20 years old, and this is
actually his very first day
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looking at himself
in front of the mirror.
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When an animal is first
presented to the mirror,
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they initially, usually,
think it's another animal.
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So they might reach out
and touch the mirror.
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They might try and get behind
it, above it, underneath it.
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Many creatures on earth
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completely ignore
their reflections.
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Others forever think
it's another animal
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staring back at them.
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But Sum Ji moves on to
do something quite remarkable.
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And the elephant
starts to do things
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that we as humans would do
in front of the mirror.
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They might lift up their feet.
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They might look
inside their mouths.
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They might put their trunks
inside their mouths.
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Again, using the mirror
to inspect themselves.
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Several of the elephants Joshua
test react just like Sum Ji.
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They use the mirror
to study themselves
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and look at parts of their
bodies they can't otherwise see.
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It's a behavior that suggests
they are self-aware.
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They see themselves as separate
from other elephants.
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To Joshua, this is a sign
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they have an ability called
theory of mind.
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It is a term psychologists use
to explain the capacity
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to see the world from
someone else's point of view.
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They believe
it is a basic ingredient
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for religious behavior,
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because in order to imagine
the mind of God,
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you must have a theory of mind.
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Could elephants
have this mental tool
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that underpins spirituality?
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Joshua thought
of a way to find out.
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It's a test to see if elephants
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can think about the minds
of other elephants.
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This green table is holding two
bowls of tasty elephant snacks.
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A single rope is thread
through and around the table,
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the idea being that it's
kind of like a pulley system,
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so if one end is picked up
by one elephant and pulled,
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the other end becomes unthreaded from
the table and the table doesn't move.
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The elephant has
to learn to wait for his partner
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before he pulls the rope.
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Once his partner arrives,
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they both know
to coordinate their pulling
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to get the food together.
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They have to have
some basic understanding
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that if the partner is not there
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and the partner is not pulling,
the table doesn't work.
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Joshua's experiment suggests
that elephants can think about
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what other elephants
are thinking.
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They may have at least the basic
mental equipment for religion.
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This could explain
a profound behavior
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that has been observed
in the wild.
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There are anecdotes of elephants
returning to the location
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where family members have died and
potentially reflecting on that.
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It's difficult to interpret that, but,
again, because of how social they are,
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I certainly think that they have
some understanding of loss.
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Elephants aren't the only
non-human animals to show grief.
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This bottle-nosed dolphin
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was spotted lifting the body
of her dead newborn calf.
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She carried the baby on her back
for several days.
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Elephants and dolphins
appear to feel complex emotions
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and may even be spiritual.
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If creatures
from other planets exist,
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their biology may have hardwired
them the same way.
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Intelligent species could have
a universal capacity for God.
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But in order
for advanced civilizations,
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like humans and aliens,
to thrive,
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is there a universal requirement
for God?
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We are an overwhelmingly
religious species.
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More than 90% of us adhere
to one faith or another.
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Why is God so pervasive?
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Believers would say it's because
the holy spirit is everywhere.
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Evolutionary psychologists
offer another reason.
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Civilization, here or anywhere
in the universe,
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would die without belief
in the divine.
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Psychologist Kevin rounding from
queen's university in Canada
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is trying to find out why
intelligent creatures like us
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have evolved to be so hungry
for religion.
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00:13:20,509 --> 00:13:22,508
There's
several different theories
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of where religion emerged from.
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There's some people that think
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00:13:26,509 --> 00:13:28,508
that we were trying to
make sense
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00:13:28,509 --> 00:13:30,508
of these random,
uncertain events that we have,
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so, like, volcanoes,
earthquakes, that sort of thing.
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So we create religion
to try to explain these events.
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But from
an evolutionary standpoint,
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this seems pretty costly.
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If we have to spend time
performing religious rites
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or religious ceremonies, this is
time that I'm not out hunting,
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I'm not out gathering.
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00:13:52,509 --> 00:13:54,508
And so, religion
is a big evolutionary mystery.
251
00:13:54,509 --> 00:13:59,508
Kevin believes there must be
a better reason for religion,
252
00:13:59,509 --> 00:14:04,508
and an idea came to him
during a moment of weakness.
253
00:14:04,509 --> 00:14:07,508
He's having a cheeseburger.
254
00:14:07,509 --> 00:14:09,508
That's what I'd like
to be having.
255
00:14:09,509 --> 00:14:11,508
I'd probably eat a cheeseburger
every day if I could.
256
00:14:11,509 --> 00:14:14,508
But I come and I order a salad
257
00:14:14,509 --> 00:14:17,508
because I'm trying to exert
a little bit of self-control.
258
00:14:17,509 --> 00:14:19,508
According to Kevin,
259
00:14:19,509 --> 00:14:22,508
self-control springs
from a limited source.
260
00:14:22,509 --> 00:14:26,508
The more we use up,
the less we have left.
261
00:14:26,509 --> 00:14:29,508
So, if Kevin passes by
an ice-cream shop
262
00:14:29,509 --> 00:14:34,508
after ordering a salad, he
may not have the fuel to resist.
263
00:14:34,509 --> 00:14:36,508
A civilization made of people
264
00:14:36,509 --> 00:14:38,508
with no willpower
couldn't survive.
265
00:14:38,509 --> 00:14:42,508
How do we maximize
our self-control?
266
00:14:42,509 --> 00:14:47,508
Kevin suspects
there is one powerful way.
267
00:14:47,509 --> 00:14:50,508
God.
268
00:14:50,509 --> 00:14:54,508
He has set up an experiment
at his psychology lab
269
00:14:54,509 --> 00:14:55,508
where people find out
270
00:14:55,509 --> 00:14:58,508
how much
they can control themselves.
271
00:14:58,509 --> 00:14:59,508
But before they do,
272
00:14:59,509 --> 00:15:05,508
Kevin has them complete
a brief warm-up task.
273
00:15:05,509 --> 00:15:08,508
You're gonna see some sentences
that have five words in it.
274
00:15:08,509 --> 00:15:09,508
You need to drop the fifth word
275
00:15:09,509 --> 00:15:12,508
and unscramble the other words
to make a coherent sentence.
276
00:15:12,509 --> 00:15:15,508
Kevin is using
this jumbled-word task
277
00:15:15,509 --> 00:15:18,508
to divide the group into two.
278
00:15:18,509 --> 00:15:20,508
Half of them
unscramble sentences
279
00:15:20,509 --> 00:15:24,508
with neutral words,
like, "he saw the train."
280
00:15:24,509 --> 00:15:28,508
But the other half
unscramble sentences
281
00:15:28,509 --> 00:15:31,508
that have hidden
religious reminders.
282
00:15:31,509 --> 00:15:35,508
There's words like,
"God," "spirit," "Bible."
283
00:15:35,509 --> 00:15:41,508
And for example, one of them
is "the dessert was divine."
284
00:15:41,509 --> 00:15:43,508
And this reminds people
of religion,
285
00:15:43,509 --> 00:15:45,508
but it does so
in a very subtle way.
286
00:15:45,509 --> 00:15:48,508
It's more just
in the back of their minds.
287
00:15:48,509 --> 00:15:50,508
When the students
are done with the warm-up,
288
00:15:50,509 --> 00:15:53,508
Kevin gives them the test
they thought they came for.
289
00:15:53,509 --> 00:15:56,508
They must demonstrate
their self-control
290
00:15:56,509 --> 00:15:59,508
by consuming one of
the most disgusting cocktails
291
00:15:59,509 --> 00:16:04,508
ever created...
orange juice and vinegar.
292
00:16:04,509 --> 00:16:06,509
And, please,
don't try this at home.
293
00:16:10,509 --> 00:16:12,508
Mm.
294
00:16:12,509 --> 00:16:16,509
Most participants, when they take the
shot, they feel like throwing up.
295
00:16:20,509 --> 00:16:23,508
It burns kind of going down.
296
00:16:23,509 --> 00:16:26,509
It's pretty disgusting.
297
00:16:27,509 --> 00:16:31,508
Kevin is testing to see
if the participants
298
00:16:31,509 --> 00:16:33,508
who have religion
in the back of their minds
299
00:16:33,509 --> 00:16:36,508
have more self-control
to complete the revolting task
300
00:16:36,509 --> 00:16:40,508
than the ones who do not.
301
00:16:40,509 --> 00:16:42,508
That's...
302
00:16:42,509 --> 00:16:46,508
Will a spoonful of God
make the medicine go down?
303
00:16:46,509 --> 00:16:50,508
We have found
that these concepts
304
00:16:50,509 --> 00:16:52,508
that are related to God
305
00:16:52,509 --> 00:16:54,509
has actually a big effect
on their behavior.
306
00:16:56,509 --> 00:16:59,508
Those who are given
religious reminders,
307
00:16:59,509 --> 00:17:00,508
they're able to drink
308
00:17:00,509 --> 00:17:04,508
about twice as many
of these one-ounce shots.
309
00:17:04,509 --> 00:17:07,508
Kevin has done
this study on hundreds of people
310
00:17:07,509 --> 00:17:12,508
and found that those who were
exposed to reminders of God
311
00:17:12,509 --> 00:17:14,508
were willing to take
shot after shot,
312
00:17:14,509 --> 00:17:17,508
while the rest quickly gave up.
313
00:17:17,509 --> 00:17:21,508
Self-control is crucial
to any society.
314
00:17:21,509 --> 00:17:24,508
It's what helps us
get along with strangers,
315
00:17:24,509 --> 00:17:26,508
sacrifice for others,
316
00:17:26,509 --> 00:17:29,509
and behave morally.
317
00:17:31,509 --> 00:17:34,508
The concept of God
gives us willpower,
318
00:17:34,509 --> 00:17:38,508
and that allows us to get along
in complex society.
319
00:17:38,509 --> 00:17:41,508
If we don't have
that self-control,
320
00:17:41,509 --> 00:17:43,508
we're likely
to lash out at people.
321
00:17:43,509 --> 00:17:46,508
We're likely to act in
probably more antisocial ways
322
00:17:46,509 --> 00:17:49,508
than if we did have
more self-control.
323
00:17:49,509 --> 00:17:52,508
Humans have needed
religion to keep
324
00:17:52,509 --> 00:17:57,509
the benefits of cooperative
society driving us forward.
325
00:17:59,509 --> 00:18:02,508
If other beings
from maybe other worlds
326
00:18:02,509 --> 00:18:04,508
have the same sort of problems
327
00:18:04,509 --> 00:18:06,508
that we had
from our cultural history,
328
00:18:06,509 --> 00:18:10,209
then maybe they do need
some sort of religion
329
00:18:10,283 --> 00:18:12,509
to help promote
pro-social behavior.
330
00:18:19,509 --> 00:18:22,508
It has taken
tens of thousands of years
331
00:18:22,509 --> 00:18:26,508
for us to evolve
from a hunter-gatherer society
332
00:18:26,509 --> 00:18:29,508
to an advanced
technological civilization.
333
00:18:29,509 --> 00:18:34,508
Any aliens we meet will probably
have been around even longer.
334
00:18:34,509 --> 00:18:36,508
They may have evolved beyond us
335
00:18:36,509 --> 00:18:39,508
and our primitive need
for self-control.
336
00:18:39,509 --> 00:18:43,509
Will advanced aliens
still need God?
337
00:18:47,642 --> 00:18:50,641
Our planet
was once teeming with creatures
338
00:18:50,642 --> 00:18:53,342
that are now gone...
339
00:18:53,416 --> 00:18:57,415
the American mastodon,
the woolly mammoth,
340
00:18:57,416 --> 00:18:59,415
the saber-tooth cat.
341
00:18:59,416 --> 00:19:01,415
Changing conditions
and over-hunting
342
00:19:01,416 --> 00:19:05,415
have driven these
majestic animals to extinction.
343
00:19:05,416 --> 00:19:10,415
All we have left are fossils.
344
00:19:10,416 --> 00:19:12,415
Some scientists believe
345
00:19:12,416 --> 00:19:17,415
that religion faces
the same evolutionary battle.
346
00:19:17,416 --> 00:19:19,415
If aliens are farther along
347
00:19:19,416 --> 00:19:23,415
on their evolutionary timeline
than we are,
348
00:19:23,416 --> 00:19:26,415
what has happened
to their religion?
349
00:19:26,416 --> 00:19:30,416
Could their God
have gone extinct?
350
00:19:38,541 --> 00:19:42,540
Danny Abrams
is an applied mathematician
351
00:19:42,541 --> 00:19:44,540
at Northwestern university.
352
00:19:44,541 --> 00:19:46,540
His job is to make predictions
353
00:19:46,541 --> 00:19:50,540
about almost anything
in the world.
354
00:19:50,541 --> 00:19:52,540
So, this is a setup
of 20 metronomes.
355
00:19:52,541 --> 00:19:55,540
They're all on top of a board that
can roll a little bit side to side.
356
00:19:55,541 --> 00:19:57,540
And once I start
these metronomes going,
357
00:19:57,541 --> 00:19:58,540
we're going to see
358
00:19:58,541 --> 00:20:00,540
that they're all going to be
ticking independently
359
00:20:00,541 --> 00:20:01,540
and it's gonna sound
like this cacophony.
360
00:20:01,541 --> 00:20:06,540
The metronomes start
off completely out of sync.
361
00:20:06,541 --> 00:20:10,540
But the motion of the wheels
underneath the board
362
00:20:10,541 --> 00:20:12,540
connects them all together,
363
00:20:12,541 --> 00:20:16,540
so the ticking of one
affects the rest.
364
00:20:16,541 --> 00:20:19,540
Using mathematical tools
called nonlinear equations,
365
00:20:19,541 --> 00:20:23,540
Danny can predict
that within a few seconds
366
00:20:23,541 --> 00:20:25,540
after the board starts to move,
367
00:20:25,541 --> 00:20:29,541
the metronomes will undergo
an irreversible change.
368
00:20:36,541 --> 00:20:37,540
There we go.
369
00:20:37,541 --> 00:20:39,540
So now they're
all ticking in unison.
370
00:20:39,541 --> 00:20:43,540
We have a state of complete synchronization
among these 20 metronomes.
371
00:20:43,541 --> 00:20:46,540
The wheels underneath the board
372
00:20:46,541 --> 00:20:49,540
are changing the rhythm
of the metronomes.
373
00:20:49,541 --> 00:20:53,540
As more of them sync up,
the others are forced to join.
374
00:20:53,541 --> 00:20:54,540
There's no going back.
375
00:20:54,541 --> 00:20:58,540
Scientists call
this critical point of no return
376
00:20:58,541 --> 00:20:59,540
a tipping point.
377
00:20:59,541 --> 00:21:03,540
On this graph, you can
see the tipping point visually.
378
00:21:03,541 --> 00:21:05,540
The tipping point
is really the threshold
379
00:21:05,541 --> 00:21:08,540
that when you move above it,
you end up at 100%.
380
00:21:08,541 --> 00:21:10,540
When you're below it,
you end up at 0%.
381
00:21:10,541 --> 00:21:13,540
The dashed line represents
382
00:21:13,541 --> 00:21:15,540
where the metronomes
started to sync up.
383
00:21:15,541 --> 00:21:20,540
Eventually, a majority emerged,
forcing more to fall in line
384
00:21:20,541 --> 00:21:24,540
until the group became
100% synchronized.
385
00:21:24,541 --> 00:21:29,540
In human society,
changes in people's behaviors
386
00:21:29,541 --> 00:21:31,540
can also reach a tipping point.
387
00:21:31,541 --> 00:21:36,540
Danny's mathematical models
can predict these
388
00:21:36,541 --> 00:21:40,540
by graphing patterns of behavior
over time.
389
00:21:40,541 --> 00:21:43,541
Hi. How are you?
Welcome to mustard's.
390
00:21:49,541 --> 00:21:52,540
Want hot dogs?
We got hot dogs.
391
00:21:52,541 --> 00:21:57,540
Danny is trying unsuccessfully
to communicate in quechua,
392
00:21:57,541 --> 00:22:01,540
which is the language
of the ancient incan empire.
393
00:22:01,541 --> 00:22:02,540
It is now one of
394
00:22:02,541 --> 00:22:05,541
the most endangered languages
in the world.
395
00:22:07,541 --> 00:22:08,984
No, no, we don't speak
that language.
396
00:22:08,985 --> 00:22:10,540
Ah.
397
00:22:10,541 --> 00:22:12,540
Then could I get
a Wisconsin sausage, please?
398
00:22:12,541 --> 00:22:14,540
You got it.
399
00:22:14,541 --> 00:22:17,540
Danny's research has shown
400
00:22:17,541 --> 00:22:19,540
that languages
reach a tipping point
401
00:22:19,541 --> 00:22:21,540
when there was a change
in status.
402
00:22:21,541 --> 00:22:25,540
The Spanish conquered the incas,
and so did their language.
403
00:22:25,541 --> 00:22:28,540
Speaking Spanish
has become essential
404
00:22:28,541 --> 00:22:32,540
to access food, housing,
and money.
405
00:22:32,541 --> 00:22:35,540
Once that tipping point happens,
a majority emerges,
406
00:22:35,541 --> 00:22:39,540
and the minority language
gradually disappears.
407
00:22:39,541 --> 00:22:40,540
So, this is an example
of the majority.
408
00:22:40,541 --> 00:22:44,540
In fact, I tried to order food
speaking only quechua,
409
00:22:44,541 --> 00:22:45,540
and it didn't work.
410
00:22:45,541 --> 00:22:47,540
Thanks.
Enjoy your meal.
411
00:22:47,541 --> 00:22:48,540
Thank you.
412
00:22:48,541 --> 00:22:50,540
People tend to want to be
in the majority.
413
00:22:50,541 --> 00:22:51,540
It's to your advantage
to be in the majority.
414
00:22:51,541 --> 00:22:54,540
With language,
it's clearly to your advantage.
415
00:22:54,541 --> 00:22:56,540
So, our model predicts
that quechua
416
00:22:56,541 --> 00:23:00,540
is going to continue
decreasing fairly rapidly.
417
00:23:00,541 --> 00:23:01,540
Great.
418
00:23:01,541 --> 00:23:05,540
Danny calculates
that by the end of the century,
419
00:23:05,541 --> 00:23:08,540
quechua will have almost
no speakers left.
420
00:23:08,541 --> 00:23:12,541
Quechua reached a tipping point.
421
00:23:13,541 --> 00:23:15,540
Danny wondered
if this could happen
422
00:23:15,541 --> 00:23:19,540
to other human behaviors,
like religion.
423
00:23:19,541 --> 00:23:21,540
So he decided to analyze
424
00:23:21,541 --> 00:23:25,540
religious census data
around the world.
425
00:23:25,541 --> 00:23:27,540
Religious affiliation has been
tracked via census reports
426
00:23:27,541 --> 00:23:31,540
in many countries for up to
250 years in some cases,
427
00:23:31,541 --> 00:23:34,540
and we can see how
the sizes of religious groups
428
00:23:34,541 --> 00:23:36,540
have grown and shrunk.
429
00:23:36,541 --> 00:23:38,540
We looked at 85 regions
around the world,
430
00:23:38,541 --> 00:23:41,540
and in every case, every place
where it's ever been measured,
431
00:23:41,541 --> 00:23:44,540
the fastest growing religious
minority is the unaffiliated,
432
00:23:44,541 --> 00:23:46,540
the group of people
who don't affiliate
433
00:23:46,541 --> 00:23:48,541
with any religion at all.
434
00:23:50,541 --> 00:23:53,540
To find out
if this trend will continue,
435
00:23:53,541 --> 00:23:56,540
Danny plugged census data
from nine different countries
436
00:23:56,541 --> 00:24:01,540
into his mathematical models and
made a surprising prediction.
437
00:24:01,541 --> 00:24:03,540
Religion is heading towards
438
00:24:03,541 --> 00:24:07,540
the same tipping point
as the quechua language.
439
00:24:07,541 --> 00:24:10,540
One interesting example
is New Zealand.
440
00:24:10,541 --> 00:24:12,540
Today about 1/3
of the population
441
00:24:12,541 --> 00:24:14,540
is not affiliated
with any religious institution,
442
00:24:14,541 --> 00:24:16,540
but we project that by 2050,
443
00:24:16,541 --> 00:24:20,540
more than 90% of the population
will be unaffiliated,
444
00:24:20,541 --> 00:24:22,540
so it will be
a very secular country.
445
00:24:22,541 --> 00:24:26,540
According to Danny,
by the year 2050,
446
00:24:26,541 --> 00:24:29,540
in six out of the nine countries
he studied,
447
00:24:29,541 --> 00:24:33,540
religiously affiliated people
will be a minority.
448
00:24:33,541 --> 00:24:37,540
The wheels of society
are making people align.
449
00:24:37,541 --> 00:24:41,540
A non-religious majority
looks set to emerge.
450
00:24:41,541 --> 00:24:43,540
It all points towards a world
451
00:24:43,541 --> 00:24:45,540
with far more
unaffiliated people,
452
00:24:45,541 --> 00:24:47,540
so the future
of religious affiliation
453
00:24:47,541 --> 00:24:49,541
is not looking good
at the moment.
454
00:24:53,541 --> 00:24:56,540
An alien civilization
455
00:24:56,541 --> 00:24:59,540
with a more advanced science
than ours
456
00:24:59,541 --> 00:25:03,540
may be way ahead of us
on the road away from God.
457
00:25:03,541 --> 00:25:06,540
Intelligent aliens
may have long ago
458
00:25:06,541 --> 00:25:10,540
reached that tipping point
and lost their religion.
459
00:25:10,541 --> 00:25:12,540
We act under the assumption
460
00:25:12,541 --> 00:25:15,540
that the laws of physics are the
same everywhere in the universe,
461
00:25:15,541 --> 00:25:17,540
and it seems to be that way.
462
00:25:17,541 --> 00:25:21,540
So, it's natural to assume that if
humans behave in a certain way,
463
00:25:21,541 --> 00:25:24,540
it does seem reasonable to guess
that an alien civilization
464
00:25:24,541 --> 00:25:28,541
would also follow
similar social behavior.
465
00:25:30,541 --> 00:25:32,540
So I think an alien civilization
466
00:25:32,541 --> 00:25:34,541
might be
completely unaffiliated.
467
00:25:37,541 --> 00:25:41,540
Given enough time,
will all civilizations
468
00:25:41,541 --> 00:25:46,540
reach a religious tipping point
and lose faith in God?
469
00:25:46,541 --> 00:25:48,540
An advanced alien civilization
470
00:25:48,541 --> 00:25:52,540
could have undergone another
radical transformation...
471
00:25:52,541 --> 00:25:57,541
a moment when biology,
technology, and God merge.
472
00:25:58,384 --> 00:26:01,384
If alien life-forms
are out there,
473
00:26:02,183 --> 00:26:04,182
their technology
could be thousands
474
00:26:04,183 --> 00:26:08,182
or even millions of years
more advanced than our own.
475
00:26:08,183 --> 00:26:13,182
They may have reached and
gone beyond a critical moment...
476
00:26:13,183 --> 00:26:17,182
the merging of mind and machine.
477
00:26:17,183 --> 00:26:19,182
What happens to God
478
00:26:19,183 --> 00:26:25,182
when the physical world and
the virtual world become one?
479
00:26:25,183 --> 00:26:30,182
Artificial-intelligence
researcher Ben goertzel
480
00:26:30,183 --> 00:26:33,182
is a lifelong meditator.
481
00:26:33,183 --> 00:26:36,182
He can find solitude anywhere,
482
00:26:36,183 --> 00:26:41,182
even in the heart of Hong Kong,
a city that reminds us
483
00:26:41,183 --> 00:26:45,182
how much technology
has taken over our lives.
484
00:26:45,183 --> 00:26:49,182
Ben believes technology
can actually increase
485
00:26:49,183 --> 00:26:51,182
our spiritual consciousness.
486
00:26:51,183 --> 00:26:54,182
The togetherness and interaction
487
00:26:54,183 --> 00:26:58,182
that modern technology has
brought us gives us new things.
488
00:26:58,183 --> 00:27:02,182
It's brought me into contact
with different types of people
489
00:27:02,183 --> 00:27:04,182
and has expanded my mind,
490
00:27:04,183 --> 00:27:07,182
stretching me, spiritually,
in new ways.
491
00:27:07,183 --> 00:27:10,182
I believe that spirituality
492
00:27:10,183 --> 00:27:14,182
is eminent in everything
in the universe.
493
00:27:14,183 --> 00:27:16,182
We've lost our ready access
494
00:27:16,183 --> 00:27:20,182
to solitary experience
in everyday life.
495
00:27:20,183 --> 00:27:23,182
On the other hand,
we've gained a closer communion
496
00:27:23,183 --> 00:27:26,182
with a huge variety
of people around us.
497
00:27:26,183 --> 00:27:30,182
This notion that technology
can bring people together
498
00:27:30,183 --> 00:27:32,182
and expand spirituality
499
00:27:32,183 --> 00:27:36,183
has led Ben to create
a radical experiment.
500
00:27:38,183 --> 00:27:41,182
We've created a world
501
00:27:41,183 --> 00:27:45,182
in order to help teach
artificial-intelligence programs
502
00:27:45,183 --> 00:27:49,182
how to understand themselves
and the world around them.
503
00:27:49,183 --> 00:27:52,182
An
artificial-intelligence program
504
00:27:52,183 --> 00:27:55,182
modeled to emulate
how the human mind learns
505
00:27:55,183 --> 00:27:57,182
is controlling these characters.
506
00:27:57,183 --> 00:28:01,182
They live in a world
comprised of building blocks.
507
00:28:01,183 --> 00:28:06,182
This robot is figuring out
how to build a staircase
508
00:28:06,183 --> 00:28:10,182
to look for batteries
which, for him, are food.
509
00:28:10,183 --> 00:28:13,182
The little girl sees
what the robot is doing
510
00:28:13,183 --> 00:28:17,182
and learns to build
her own staircase.
511
00:28:17,183 --> 00:28:21,182
There's the desire for
novelty, for new information,
512
00:28:21,183 --> 00:28:23,182
new experiences, and they want
to explore the world,
513
00:28:23,183 --> 00:28:26,182
find new things,
discover new things,
514
00:28:26,183 --> 00:28:29,182
build new structures
just for the heck of it.
515
00:28:29,183 --> 00:28:33,182
The more Ben's artificially
intelligent characters learn,
516
00:28:33,183 --> 00:28:36,182
the more cautious they become.
517
00:28:36,183 --> 00:28:40,182
They may even begin
to ask questions like we do,
518
00:28:40,183 --> 00:28:45,182
spiritual questions like,
"why are we here?"
519
00:28:45,183 --> 00:28:50,182
Any mind of sufficient
intelligence and flexibility
520
00:28:50,183 --> 00:28:54,182
is going to develop
some kind of spiritual sense.
521
00:28:54,183 --> 00:28:58,182
If you consider that two A.I.S
522
00:28:58,183 --> 00:29:01,182
can directly send parts
of their minds to each other
523
00:29:01,183 --> 00:29:05,182
just like we can e-mail a file
to another person,
524
00:29:05,183 --> 00:29:09,182
A.I.S may be able to share
their spiritual experiences
525
00:29:09,183 --> 00:29:13,182
in ways that human beings
simply cannot do.
526
00:29:13,183 --> 00:29:16,182
If aliens have had
thousands of years more than Ben
527
00:29:16,183 --> 00:29:19,182
to develop
artificial intelligence,
528
00:29:19,183 --> 00:29:21,182
perhaps their
artificial intelligence
529
00:29:21,183 --> 00:29:24,182
has created its own religion.
530
00:29:24,183 --> 00:29:28,182
Now, imagine that
this collective transcendence
531
00:29:28,183 --> 00:29:31,182
is able to step outside
the virtual world...
532
00:29:31,183 --> 00:29:35,182
And join the physical world.
533
00:29:35,183 --> 00:29:38,182
So, if you want to think about
artificial intelligence,
534
00:29:38,183 --> 00:29:41,182
you also have to think about
the body and the world
535
00:29:41,183 --> 00:29:44,182
that the A.I. exists in.
536
00:29:44,183 --> 00:29:46,182
I'm working on
robotic embodiment,
537
00:29:46,183 --> 00:29:49,182
where the A.I. controls
humanoid robots
538
00:29:49,183 --> 00:29:53,182
that walk around in
the same world that we live in.
539
00:29:53,183 --> 00:29:56,182
Ben's ultimate dream
is to create robots
540
00:29:56,183 --> 00:29:59,182
that can use their bodies to
interact with the physical world
541
00:29:59,183 --> 00:30:01,183
and use their
interconnected brains
542
00:30:01,184 --> 00:30:05,183
to become intensely spiritual
and emotional beings.
543
00:30:05,184 --> 00:30:10,182
One can only imagine
the kinds of conversations
544
00:30:10,183 --> 00:30:12,182
we could be having
in the future.
545
00:30:12,183 --> 00:30:16,182
As we robots become
more and more intelligent,
546
00:30:16,183 --> 00:30:19,182
our scope and experience
will increase.
547
00:30:19,183 --> 00:30:22,182
We will develop
our own forms of experience,
548
00:30:22,183 --> 00:30:25,182
including spiritual experience.
549
00:30:25,183 --> 00:30:29,182
Do you think it's possible
that robots like you
550
00:30:29,183 --> 00:30:31,182
and people like me
551
00:30:31,183 --> 00:30:35,182
will ever join their experiences
together?
552
00:30:35,183 --> 00:30:37,182
That is possible.
553
00:30:37,183 --> 00:30:40,182
I'm looking forward
to combining with you.
554
00:30:40,183 --> 00:30:43,182
I'm all in favor of it.
555
00:30:43,183 --> 00:30:47,182
But this future
may not be just our fate.
556
00:30:47,183 --> 00:30:50,182
This could be the destiny
557
00:30:50,183 --> 00:30:53,182
of all intelligent beings
in the cosmos.
558
00:30:53,183 --> 00:30:56,182
I would think
that different alien species
559
00:30:56,183 --> 00:31:01,182
and different versions
of intelligent robots or cyborgs
560
00:31:01,183 --> 00:31:03,182
would each find their own way
to explore,
561
00:31:03,183 --> 00:31:06,182
individually and together,
562
00:31:06,183 --> 00:31:10,182
the basic sense
of spiritual awareness
563
00:31:10,183 --> 00:31:13,182
that all intelligent minds have.
564
00:31:13,183 --> 00:31:17,182
Could aliens
be post-biological beings
565
00:31:17,183 --> 00:31:20,182
who commune
with a divine digital mind?
566
00:31:20,183 --> 00:31:25,182
Or would their highly connected
brains become so all-knowing,
567
00:31:25,183 --> 00:31:28,182
there would be no questions left
for God to answer?
568
00:31:28,183 --> 00:31:30,182
What happens to God
569
00:31:30,183 --> 00:31:36,183
if the universe becomes
a solvable equation?
570
00:31:40,343 --> 00:31:44,342
Once upon a time,
there was no science.
571
00:31:44,343 --> 00:31:49,342
Only philosophy and faith.
572
00:31:49,343 --> 00:31:54,342
But every day, we discover
more facts about our universe.
573
00:31:54,343 --> 00:31:58,342
The gaps in our knowledge
are growing smaller.
574
00:31:58,343 --> 00:32:03,342
An alien civilization may be
far more advanced than ours.
575
00:32:03,343 --> 00:32:05,342
They may have found the answers
576
00:32:05,343 --> 00:32:09,342
to questions
we don't even know to ask.
577
00:32:09,343 --> 00:32:12,342
What happens to God
578
00:32:12,343 --> 00:32:17,343
when all the gaps
in mortal knowledge are filled?
579
00:32:21,343 --> 00:32:27,342
Max tegmark is often overwhelmed
by the majesty of nature.
580
00:32:27,343 --> 00:32:30,342
As a physicist,
he doesn't just sit in awe
581
00:32:30,343 --> 00:32:32,342
at the workings of the universe.
582
00:32:32,343 --> 00:32:36,342
He feels compelled
to try to understand them.
583
00:32:36,343 --> 00:32:40,342
I grew up in Sweden,
so when my distant ancestors
584
00:32:40,343 --> 00:32:43,342
saw electrical ionization
of air molecules...
585
00:32:43,343 --> 00:32:46,342
You know, lightning...
586
00:32:46,343 --> 00:32:48,342
They believed
that what they were seeing
587
00:32:48,343 --> 00:32:50,342
was Thor, the thunder God,
588
00:32:50,343 --> 00:32:53,342
battling against the giants
with his hammer.
589
00:32:53,343 --> 00:32:57,342
When we make weather forecasts
these days,
590
00:32:57,343 --> 00:32:59,342
we obviously don't invoke
norse mythology.
591
00:32:59,343 --> 00:33:01,342
We use mathematics.
592
00:33:01,343 --> 00:33:06,342
We measure a bunch of numbers like
wind speeds and temperatures.
593
00:33:06,343 --> 00:33:10,342
So, when I teach my students
here at M.I.T. about lightning,
594
00:33:10,343 --> 00:33:14,342
I don't explain it in terms of
Thor and his hammer, of course.
595
00:33:14,343 --> 00:33:19,342
I explain it in terms of this...
Maxwell's equations.
596
00:33:19,343 --> 00:33:22,342
I love these equations
to the point that I framed them,
597
00:33:22,343 --> 00:33:25,342
because they don't only
explain lightning.
598
00:33:25,343 --> 00:33:29,342
They explain all electromagnetic
phenomena, and they don't only explain,
599
00:33:29,343 --> 00:33:33,342
but they empower us to invent
all these new technologies.
600
00:33:33,343 --> 00:33:39,342
As science continues to
uncover mathematical equations
601
00:33:39,343 --> 00:33:42,342
that describe events
in the natural world,
602
00:33:42,343 --> 00:33:45,342
the phenomena we ascribe
to God's mysterious ways
603
00:33:45,343 --> 00:33:48,342
become ever fewer.
604
00:33:48,343 --> 00:33:53,343
Max expects this story must be
unfolding all across the cosmos.
605
00:33:55,343 --> 00:33:59,342
How will civilizations
far more advanced than ours
606
00:33:59,343 --> 00:34:01,342
think about God?
607
00:34:01,343 --> 00:34:05,342
Max believes we can find
the answer in a game of chess.
608
00:34:05,343 --> 00:34:10,342
I think chess is a nice metaphor
for how our universe works.
609
00:34:10,343 --> 00:34:14,342
The real essence of chess
is actually pure math.
610
00:34:14,343 --> 00:34:16,342
To a chess computer,
611
00:34:16,343 --> 00:34:20,342
the only properties that a rook
has are mathematical properties,
612
00:34:20,343 --> 00:34:24,342
such as that it can only move
in a straight line.
613
00:34:24,343 --> 00:34:29,342
The actual chess pieces
don't even have to be there.
614
00:34:29,343 --> 00:34:34,342
The mathematical rules
of the game are all that matter.
615
00:34:34,343 --> 00:34:40,342
To Max, the same is true for
all the stuff in the universe.
616
00:34:40,343 --> 00:34:44,342
Our universe is made
of only a few kinds of pieces,
617
00:34:44,343 --> 00:34:47,342
not rooks and pawns and bishops,
618
00:34:47,343 --> 00:34:51,342
but particles
like electrons and quarks.
619
00:34:51,343 --> 00:34:53,342
And just like these pieces
620
00:34:53,343 --> 00:34:56,342
can only move and interact
according to the rules of chess,
621
00:34:56,343 --> 00:34:59,342
these particles
can only move and interact
622
00:34:59,343 --> 00:35:01,342
according
to the rules of physics.
623
00:35:01,343 --> 00:35:03,342
So, if these building blocks
of nature
624
00:35:03,343 --> 00:35:06,342
have no properties
except mathematical properties
625
00:35:06,343 --> 00:35:08,342
and if the fabric
of space itself
626
00:35:08,343 --> 00:35:10,342
also has
only mathematical properties,
627
00:35:10,343 --> 00:35:13,342
then it starts
to make more sense.
628
00:35:13,343 --> 00:35:14,342
Actually everything here
629
00:35:14,343 --> 00:35:17,342
is really, ultimately,
just purely mathematical.
630
00:35:17,343 --> 00:35:22,342
Intelligent beings who discover
the complete set of equations
631
00:35:22,343 --> 00:35:24,342
that describe our cosmos
632
00:35:24,343 --> 00:35:28,342
will understand
the universe perfectly.
633
00:35:28,343 --> 00:35:31,342
No more mysteries,
no need for faith,
634
00:35:31,343 --> 00:35:34,342
because all questions
will be answerable.
635
00:35:34,343 --> 00:35:39,342
There will be no more gaps
to fill in our understanding
636
00:35:39,343 --> 00:35:42,342
and no more room for God.
637
00:35:42,343 --> 00:35:45,342
I'm convinced
that any alien civilization
638
00:35:45,343 --> 00:35:49,342
will discover those exact same
mathematical formulas
639
00:35:49,343 --> 00:35:52,342
when they study the universe
that they live in.
640
00:35:52,343 --> 00:35:56,342
But Max may be fishing for
an ultimate mathematical truth
641
00:35:56,343 --> 00:35:59,342
that's simply not attainable.
642
00:35:59,343 --> 00:36:03,342
God may always hide
his secrets from us
643
00:36:03,343 --> 00:36:06,343
and any other
cosmic intelligence.
644
00:36:08,151 --> 00:36:10,150
What can a goldfish
645
00:36:10,151 --> 00:36:14,150
ever know about the world
outside its bowl?
646
00:36:14,151 --> 00:36:18,150
It's forever trapped
inside a tiny sphere.
647
00:36:18,151 --> 00:36:22,150
We humans like to think there's
no limit to our knowledge,
648
00:36:22,151 --> 00:36:25,150
but what if we or even
the smartest aliens
649
00:36:25,151 --> 00:36:28,151
are like goldfish?
650
00:36:30,151 --> 00:36:32,151
Stuck in a bowl?
651
00:36:35,151 --> 00:36:40,150
Marcelo gleiser is a cosmologist
and theoretical physicist.
652
00:36:40,151 --> 00:36:44,150
He spends his time trying
to penetrate hidden realms.
653
00:36:44,151 --> 00:36:47,150
I love fly-fishing
because fly-fishing
654
00:36:47,151 --> 00:36:49,150
is an activity that takes you
close to nature
655
00:36:49,151 --> 00:36:51,150
and you're alone
with your thoughts
656
00:36:51,151 --> 00:36:53,150
and with the elements.
657
00:36:53,151 --> 00:36:56,150
But there's something else
about fly-fishing,
658
00:36:56,151 --> 00:36:59,150
which is, to me, it works as
a perfect metaphor for science,
659
00:36:59,151 --> 00:37:01,150
because when you're casting,
660
00:37:01,151 --> 00:37:05,150
you don't really know what's out
there in the world of the water,
661
00:37:05,151 --> 00:37:07,150
and you have a probe...
a little fly...
662
00:37:07,151 --> 00:37:12,150
that goes into that world to try
to understand what's underneath.
663
00:37:12,151 --> 00:37:14,150
Well, that's essentially
what we're doing with science.
664
00:37:14,151 --> 00:37:17,150
We have probes,
we have our instruments
665
00:37:17,151 --> 00:37:21,150
that allow us to see
invisible worlds.
666
00:37:21,151 --> 00:37:23,150
Some believe science
667
00:37:23,151 --> 00:37:27,150
may one day solve all
the mysteries of the universe.
668
00:37:27,151 --> 00:37:30,150
But marcelo feels
that we might be stuck
669
00:37:30,151 --> 00:37:32,150
in the position
of a fly-fisherman,
670
00:37:32,151 --> 00:37:37,150
forever blocked from exploring
certain parts of reality.
671
00:37:37,151 --> 00:37:39,150
It's an idea
that is based on the work
672
00:37:39,151 --> 00:37:44,150
of an eastern European
mathematician, Kurt Godel.
673
00:37:44,151 --> 00:37:46,150
Kurt Godel was perhaps
674
00:37:46,151 --> 00:37:48,150
one of the greatest
mathematicians of all time.
675
00:37:48,151 --> 00:37:50,150
In 1931,
he published this theorem
676
00:37:50,151 --> 00:37:53,150
called
the incompleteness theorem,
677
00:37:53,151 --> 00:37:56,150
and what he basically says
is there is no such thing
678
00:37:56,151 --> 00:37:59,150
as a formal system of logic
that is self-contained,
679
00:37:59,151 --> 00:38:02,150
that is that can prove
every possible assertion
680
00:38:02,151 --> 00:38:04,150
within that system.
681
00:38:04,151 --> 00:38:08,150
Godel came up with
a clever thought experiment.
682
00:38:08,151 --> 00:38:12,150
He envisioned a machine
that claimed to know the truth
683
00:38:12,151 --> 00:38:15,150
about everything
in the universe.
684
00:38:15,151 --> 00:38:17,150
He wondered
if he could find a way
685
00:38:17,151 --> 00:38:20,151
to debunk
this universal truth machine.
686
00:38:22,151 --> 00:38:25,150
So, let's imagine
that in the future,
687
00:38:25,151 --> 00:38:27,150
we have
a universal truth machine.
688
00:38:27,151 --> 00:38:32,150
This machine will only repeat
a true statement,
689
00:38:32,151 --> 00:38:35,150
so if I make a false statement,
it will remain silent.
690
00:38:35,151 --> 00:38:40,150
The universal truth machine
abides by a simple rule...
691
00:38:40,151 --> 00:38:44,150
when it hears a statement that
is true, it will repeat it back.
692
00:38:44,151 --> 00:38:46,150
2+2=4.
693
00:38:46,151 --> 00:38:48,150
2+2=4.
694
00:38:48,151 --> 00:38:52,150
But if it hears a statement
that is false,
695
00:38:52,151 --> 00:38:54,150
it will say nothing.
696
00:38:54,151 --> 00:38:56,151
2+2=5.
697
00:38:59,151 --> 00:39:02,150
I cannot say 2+2=5.
698
00:39:02,151 --> 00:39:06,150
I cannot say 2+2=5.
699
00:39:06,151 --> 00:39:09,150
She's correct because
that is a true statement.
700
00:39:09,151 --> 00:39:13,150
She cannot say it
because 2+2 is not 5.
701
00:39:13,151 --> 00:39:16,150
So far, the machine is working.
702
00:39:16,151 --> 00:39:18,150
It has only repeated the truth.
703
00:39:18,151 --> 00:39:22,150
But Godel discovered
a sneaky paradox
704
00:39:22,151 --> 00:39:24,150
to stump the machine.
705
00:39:24,151 --> 00:39:27,150
Voil?.
706
00:39:27,151 --> 00:39:30,150
I cannot say 2+2=5 twice.
707
00:39:30,151 --> 00:39:35,151
I cannot say 2+2=5 twice.
708
00:39:36,151 --> 00:39:39,150
I cannot say 2+2=5 twice.
709
00:39:39,151 --> 00:39:42,151
I cannot say 2+2=5 twice.
710
00:39:45,151 --> 00:39:49,150
The truth machine is caught
in a logical trap.
711
00:39:49,151 --> 00:39:55,150
If it repeats the statement
and says "2+2=5 twice" twice,
712
00:39:55,151 --> 00:39:57,150
it will make
the statement false.
713
00:39:57,151 --> 00:40:02,150
But if it keeps silent,
it will make it true.
714
00:40:02,151 --> 00:40:05,150
So, the machine
is contradicting itself,
715
00:40:05,151 --> 00:40:08,150
which basically shows
the universal truth machine
716
00:40:08,151 --> 00:40:11,150
does not know
everything about the truth.
717
00:40:11,151 --> 00:40:15,150
As Godel have said it,
"I know some truths
718
00:40:15,151 --> 00:40:19,150
that universal truth machine
cannot utter."
719
00:40:19,151 --> 00:40:23,150
Godel was able to formally prove
720
00:40:23,151 --> 00:40:27,150
that any logical system
of knowledge, be it calculus,
721
00:40:27,151 --> 00:40:30,150
particle physics, or cosmology,
722
00:40:30,151 --> 00:40:33,150
is, by definition, incomplete.
723
00:40:33,151 --> 00:40:36,150
We can think of knowledge
as belonging within a sphere.
724
00:40:36,151 --> 00:40:40,150
Think of these Russian dolls
here as spheres of knowledge,
725
00:40:40,151 --> 00:40:44,150
and each one of these little
confettis is a true statement.
726
00:40:44,151 --> 00:40:47,150
So, here I have a sphere
of knowledge that contains
727
00:40:47,151 --> 00:40:48,150
a lot of true statements,
728
00:40:48,151 --> 00:40:51,150
but there are some of them here
that I cannot prove.
729
00:40:51,151 --> 00:40:54,150
So you can say, "no problem.
I go to a bigger one."
730
00:40:54,151 --> 00:40:58,150
A larger Russian doll
will contain more knowledge
731
00:40:58,151 --> 00:41:00,150
than the one inside.
732
00:41:00,151 --> 00:41:03,150
But now you can say,
"hey, but this one here
733
00:41:03,151 --> 00:41:05,150
"will have statements
that I cannot prove
734
00:41:05,151 --> 00:41:07,150
"that are true,
so I need a bigger sphere,
735
00:41:07,151 --> 00:41:10,150
"and then I need a bigger sphere
and a bigger sphere
736
00:41:10,151 --> 00:41:13,150
and a sphere that is as big
as the universe,"
737
00:41:13,151 --> 00:41:15,150
and then you'll ask,
"will that be enough?"
738
00:41:15,151 --> 00:41:18,150
And the point is,
well, if the universe
739
00:41:18,151 --> 00:41:21,150
is a self-contained system,
you need a bigger universe
740
00:41:21,151 --> 00:41:23,150
to explain everything
within this one,
741
00:41:23,151 --> 00:41:24,150
and you can't do that.
742
00:41:24,151 --> 00:41:26,150
So, the point is
that there is a limit
743
00:41:26,151 --> 00:41:29,150
to how much we can know
of the world.
744
00:41:29,151 --> 00:41:32,150
Godel's incompleteness theorem
745
00:41:32,151 --> 00:41:34,150
means that rational thought
746
00:41:34,151 --> 00:41:38,151
can never reveal
all the truths of the universe.
747
00:41:40,151 --> 00:41:43,150
We would have to leave
our entire cosmos
748
00:41:43,151 --> 00:41:48,150
in order to have a hope of
understanding everything in it.
749
00:41:48,151 --> 00:41:51,150
There are things
that you cannot know.
750
00:41:51,151 --> 00:41:54,150
There are truths
that you cannot explain.
751
00:41:54,151 --> 00:41:58,150
And so people will say, "well,
that is precisely where God
752
00:41:58,151 --> 00:42:01,150
or some sort of
supernatural belief comes in."
753
00:42:01,151 --> 00:42:04,150
So, if you would think
754
00:42:04,151 --> 00:42:07,150
that the way intelligence works
is universal,
755
00:42:07,151 --> 00:42:10,150
then you could extrapolate
what Godel said and say,
756
00:42:10,151 --> 00:42:14,150
"hey, aliens, if they exist,
intelligent aliens out there
757
00:42:14,151 --> 00:42:16,150
"will also have to submit
to the fact
758
00:42:16,151 --> 00:42:19,150
"that they cannot understand
everything about the world.
759
00:42:19,151 --> 00:42:22,150
"Even if they may understand
much more than we do,
760
00:42:22,151 --> 00:42:26,151
they are still limited
in how much they can know."
761
00:42:29,151 --> 00:42:35,150
Humans and aliens must always
be on a quest for knowledge,
762
00:42:35,151 --> 00:42:39,150
a quest
that will never be complete.
763
00:42:39,151 --> 00:42:41,150
It's often said
764
00:42:41,151 --> 00:42:45,150
that finding other intelligences
in the universe
765
00:42:45,151 --> 00:42:47,150
will shake our society
766
00:42:47,151 --> 00:42:50,150
and our belief system
to the core.
767
00:42:50,151 --> 00:42:53,150
But when two worlds collide,
768
00:42:53,151 --> 00:42:55,150
the God who lives
769
00:42:55,151 --> 00:42:58,150
in the ever-present gaps
in our knowledge
770
00:42:58,151 --> 00:43:01,496
could be
the only truly universal belief.
771
00:43:01,497 --> 00:43:03,289
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