Monday 9 June 2014

A Blooming Buzzing Confusion at Amersham on Wendnesday June 11

Robin Ince is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist Brian Cox. The programme won a Gold Award in the Best Speech Programme category at the 2011 Sony Radio Awards.

On Wednesday evening he will be talking to the Chiltern Humanists at Amessham and they say that 
his title may be a quote from William James's book The Principles of Psychology, published in 1890. James described the mental experience of the newborn infant as a "blooming, buzzing, confusion", meaning that at first, infants do not experience the world like adults (or even children) do, populated with distinguishable objects and surfaces that possess features such as size, color, shape, and meaning. In other words, they don't see the couch, a coffee table, a rug, or the dog - they don't even see you as a 'thing' with any meaning.

Because of my interest in the evolution of the brain I am looking forward to hearing Robin with enjoyment - some serious thoughts on the subject with a humorous presentation.

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