What If Your Brain Was Split In Half?

Did you know that in cases where a person's brain hemispheres are surgically separated, each eye only communicates with one half? Imagine reading a note with one eye that prompts you to do the chicken dance, and then, with the other eye, reading a different note asking why you're dancing. The brain, unable to communicate between the halves, confabulates a reason, often unrelated to the original request. This phenomenon highlights how our brains might be crafting narratives constantly, even under normal circumstances.

In this video, I delve into Roger Sperry's groundbreaking split-brain experiments from 1959 to 1968. These experiments, initially conducted to address severe epilepsy through corpus callosotomy, opened new vistas in neuroscience. They showed how each brain hemisphere operates independently yet collaboratively, sparking deep questions about our sense of self.

Sperry's work, later expanded by Michael Gazzaniga, revealed the lateralization of brain functions. The left hemisphere is analytical and language-focused, while the right excels in spatial and intuitive tasks. Despite their separation, these hemispheres can work independently and cooperatively, posing fascinating insights into consciousness and self-awareness.

But why does this matter in AI? These experiments are pivotal in understanding AI development. The brain's dualistic nature, with specialized yet interconnected hemispheres, mirrors how AI safety systems, like the anthropics alignment model, function. AI, akin to the human brain, often employs parallel processing, with multiple processors or neural networks handling varied tasks. This understanding is crucial in developing holistic and versatile AI systems.

Lastly, these experiments touch upon consciousness and self-learning. They raise questions about AI systems potentially developing a form of 'consciousness' or self-awareness. Could the entire universe, including digital systems, become conscious? Such questions are not only fascinating but also carry significant ethical implications in AI development.