What happens when brains watch movies? (with Jeffrey Zacks)

Why do movies work so well? What does film reveal about the way the brain processes reality? What does any of this have to do with omniscience, simulation, jumping around in time, or why dogs don’t do story? Join Eagleman with guest Jeffrey Zacks, cognitive scientist at Wash U, as we dive into the peculiar magic that happens when the lights go down, the screen glows to life, and we find ourselves pulled into the world of a film.

Episode Audio

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More Information:

Zacks JM. Flicker: Your brain on movies. Oxford University Press; 2015.

Smith TJ, Henderson JM. Edit Blindness: The relationship between attention and global change blindness in dynamic scenes. Journal of eye movement research. 2008 Dec 16;2(2).

Zacks JM, Speer NK, Swallow KM, Maley CJ. The brain’s cutting-room floor: Segmentation of narrative cinema. Frontiers in human neuroscience. 2010 Oct 1;4:168.

Inner Cosmos Ep 1: Does time really slow down when you’re in fear for your life?

Stetson C, Fiesta MP, Eagleman DM (2007). Does time really slow down during a frightening event? PLoS One. 2(12):e1295.

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