What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? - Michael Molina
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Not SyncedHave you experienced deja-vu?
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Not SyncedIt's that shadowy feeling you get
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Not Syncedwhen a situation seems familiar.
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Not SyncedA scene in a restaurant plays out
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Not Syncedexactly as you remember.
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Not SyncedThe world moves like a ballet
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Not Syncedyou choreographed,
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Not Syncedbut the sequence can't be based on a past experience
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Not Syncedbecause you've never eaten here before.
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Not SyncedThis is the first time you've had clams,
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Not Syncedso what's going on?
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Not SyncedUnfortunately there isn't one single explanation
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Not Syncedfor deja-vu.
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Not SyncedThe experience is brief
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Not Syncedand occurs without notice,
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Not Syncedmaking it nearly impossible
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Not Syncedfor scientists to record and study it.
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Not SyncedScientists can't sit around
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Not Syncedand wait for it to happen to them -
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Not Syncedthis could take years.
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Not SyncedIt has no physical manifestations
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Not Syncedand in studies, it's described by the subject
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Not Syncedas a sensation or feeling.
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Not SyncedBecause of this lack of hard evidence,
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Not Syncedthere's been a surplus of speculation over the years.
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Not SyncedSince Emile Boirac introduced deja-vu
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Not Syncedas a French term meaning already seen,
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Not Syncedmore than 40 theories attempt
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Not Syncedto explain this phenomenon.
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Not SyncedStill, recent advancements in neuroimaging
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Not Syncedand cognitive psychology narrow down
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Not Syncedthe field of prospects.
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Not SyncedLet's walk through three of today's more prevalent theories,
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Not Syncedusing the same restaurant setting for each.
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Not SyncedFirst stop is dual processing.
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Not SyncedWe'll need an action.
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Not SyncedLet's go with a waiter dropping a tray of dishes.
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Not SyncedAs the scene unfolds,
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Not Syncedyour brain's hemispheres process
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Not Synceda flurry of information:
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Not Syncedthe waiter's flailing arms,
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Not Syncedhis cry for help,
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Not Syncedthe smell of pasta.
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Not SyncedWithin milliseconds, this information zips
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Not Syncedthrough pathways
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Not Syncedand is processed into a single moment.
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Not SyncedMost of the time, everything is recorded in-sync.
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Not SyncedHowever, this theory asserts
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Not Syncedthat deja-vu occurs when there's a slight delay
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Not Syncedin information from one of these pathways.
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Not SyncedThe difference in arrival times
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Not Syncedcauses the brain to interpret the late information
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Not Syncedas a separate event.
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Not SyncedWhen it plays over the already-recorded moment,
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Not Syncedit feels as if it's happened before
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Not Syncedbecause, in a sense, it has.
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Not SyncedOur next theory deals with the confusion of the past
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Not Syncedrather than a mistake in the present.
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Not SyncedThis is the hologram theory,
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Not Syncedand we'll use that tablecloth to examine it.
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Not SyncedAs you scan its squares,
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Not Synceda distant memory swims up
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Not Syncedfrom deep within your brain.
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Not SyncedAccording to the theory,
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Not Syncedthis is because memories are stored
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Not Syncedin the form of holograms,
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Not Syncedand in holograms,
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Not Syncedyou only need one fragment
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Not Syncedto see the whole picture.
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Not SyncedYour brain has identified the tablecloth
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Not Syncedwith one from the past,
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Not Syncedmaybe from your grandmother's house.
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Not SyncedHowever, instead of remembering
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Not Syncedthat you've seen this pattern at your grandmother's,
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Not Syncedyour brain has summoned up the old memory
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Not Syncedwithout identifying it.
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Not SyncedThis leaves you stuck with familiarity
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Not Syncedbut no recollection.
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Not SyncedAlthough you've never been in this restaurant,
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Not Syncedyou've seen that tablecloth
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Not Syncedbut are just failing to identify it.
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Not SyncedNow, look at this fork.
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Not SyncedAre you paying attention?
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Not SyncedOur last theory is divided attention,
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Not Syncedand it states that deja-vu occurs
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Not Syncedwhen our brain subliminally takes in an environment
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Not Syncedwhile we're distracted by one particular object.
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Not SyncedWhen our attention returns,
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Not Syncedwe feel as if we've been here before.
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Not SyncedFor example, just now you focused on the fork
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Not Syncedand didn't observe the tablecloth
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Not Syncedor the falling waiter.
- Title:
- What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? - Michael Molina
- Speaker:
- Michael Molina
- Description:
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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-deja-vu-what-is-deja-vu-michael-molina
You might have felt it -- the feeling that you've experienced something before, but, in reality, the experience is brand new. There are over 40 theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon of déjà vu. Michael Molina explains how neuroimaging and cognitive psychology have narrowed down the theories that could explain that feeling you're having...again.
Lesson by Michael Molina, animation by Josh Harris.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 03:55
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? | ||
Krystian Aparta commented on English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? | ||
TED edited English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? | ||
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Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? | ||
Andrea McDonough edited English subtitles for What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu? |
Krystian Aparta
The English transcript was updated on 2/13/2015.