Jaron Lanier: VR Will Expand Human Consciousness

Try Shortform, the invaluable app that helps me prepare for every conversation I have! Get $50 off the annual plan at https://shortform.com/impossible Today, I'm speaking with Jaron Lanier, a pioneer in VR, about where it will take us next to expand human consciousness. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jaron Lanier explores how technology reshapes perception, identity, and the future of humanity. From the psychology of virtual reality to the energy demands of modern AI, we trace how today’s tools influence what it means to be human—and what kind of humans we might ultimately become. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:01:52 Lanier warns AI may reduce human uniqueness. 00:09:23 VR can alter how we perceive and inhabit our bodies. 00:12:58 VR faces biological limits like cyber-sickness. 00:28:43 Reality and VR both distort perception in useful ways. 00:40:20 AI’s rapid growth is driving major energy demands. 00:54:59 Apple’s original “iPhone” idea was partly inspired by Lanier’s VR headset. 01:00:53 Talmudic tradition shows the value of preserving multiple perspectives. 01:14:59 Human senses are both extremely precise and deeply flawed. 01:31:10 Tech culture often mimics medieval-style philosophical debates. 01:41:45 Social media harms users by manipulating attention. 01:51:26 Technology shapes the kind of humans we choose to become. - Additional resources: Get My NEW Book: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN8DH6SX?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100 Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/yt to win a meteorite 💥 - Join this channel to get access to perks like monthly Office Hours: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXH_moPhfkqCk6S3b9RWuw/join 📚 Get a copy of my books: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner, with life changing interviews with 9 Nobel Prizewinners: https://a.co/d/03ezQFu My tell-all cosmic memoir Losing the Nobel Prize: http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA The first-ever audiobook from Galileo: Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican https://a.co/d/iZPi9Un 📺 Watch my most popular videos:📺 Neil Turok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt5cFLN65fI Frank Wilczek https://youtu.be/3z8RqKMQHe0?sub_confirmation=1 Eric Weinstein vs. Stephen Wolfram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0AZ4Y4Ip4?sub_confirmation=1 Sir Roger Penrose: https://youtu.be/AMuqyAvX7Wo Sabine Hossenfelder: https://youtu.be/g00ilS6tBvs Avi Loeb: https://youtu.be/N9lUceHsLRw Follow me to ask questions of my guests: 🏄‍♂️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list; just click here http://briankeating.com/list ✍️ Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog 🎙️ Listen on audio-only platforms: https://briankeating.com/podcast #universe #podcast #briankeating #intotheimpossible #science #astronomy #cosmology #cosmicmicrowavebackground #intotheimpossible #briankeating #Jaronlanier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices