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Bottleneck - Our human interface with reality: The disturbing and exciting implications of its true nature
There is a The world we inhabit and experience through our senses, appears incredibly detailed and rich in information. However, there is no scientific evidence that we are able to absorb more than a tiny trickle of fresh information, leading to the conclusion that most of the world we are experiencing is just an internal construct or simulation based on our history. This process represents a “Bottleneck”, a narrow constraint on the rate at which we can learn something new, and has shocking implications for the future which we are yet to appreciate.
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 5, 2014
Worth reading!
September 29, 2017
Bottleneck is a book that’s going to keep me thinking for a while. I love books that probe into the inner workings of the brain and mind, so I tucked into this one with a certain amount of eagerness. This book doesn’t go into depth specifically about those things, and the author doesn’t claim to be an expert in these fields (though he is something of an expert in the world of data transmission), but it does open up a whole new path of interest. I was warned, before reading it, that in some ways the subject matter is somewhat unnerving, perhaps even a little disturbing, because it pulls the rug out from underneath you in terms of what you think you know about how you perceive the world around you.
To make the assertion that we’re able to digest only small amounts of information at a time (novel information), and that the majority of what we experience moment to moment is actually a simulation in our heads based on what we’ve taken years to learn, sounds a bit science-fictiony and is quite hard to swallow, but the way in which Epworth coaxes the reader through this discovery is compelling, and for those of us that are prepared to put the brakes on our instincts to ignore the counter-intuitive, it’s an eye opener. Not only does he provide practical examples along the way to demonstrate some of his points (these are quite good), but he backs up his claims with scientific evidence gleaned from a number of experiments which tie in quite nicely with related work done by other experts. In fact, there is a sizeable chunk of the book dedicated to the supporting data and evidence. This part of the book perhaps may be a little drier than the rest, but it’s necessary to read this to be convinced about the validity of the claims.
The book is peppered with some fascinating explorations into multiple facets of life, digressing somewhat into areas such as morality, technology, education, astronomy, and even religion, but it’s fascinating to see how much of what we understand is impacted by the way in which we’ve evolved to learn about the world around us, adapt and thrive. With some of his own personal experiences thrown into the mix, both touching and funny (especially the practical joke he played on his colleagues with a modified oscilloscope) this book is well worth a read.
To make the assertion that we’re able to digest only small amounts of information at a time (novel information), and that the majority of what we experience moment to moment is actually a simulation in our heads based on what we’ve taken years to learn, sounds a bit science-fictiony and is quite hard to swallow, but the way in which Epworth coaxes the reader through this discovery is compelling, and for those of us that are prepared to put the brakes on our instincts to ignore the counter-intuitive, it’s an eye opener. Not only does he provide practical examples along the way to demonstrate some of his points (these are quite good), but he backs up his claims with scientific evidence gleaned from a number of experiments which tie in quite nicely with related work done by other experts. In fact, there is a sizeable chunk of the book dedicated to the supporting data and evidence. This part of the book perhaps may be a little drier than the rest, but it’s necessary to read this to be convinced about the validity of the claims.
The book is peppered with some fascinating explorations into multiple facets of life, digressing somewhat into areas such as morality, technology, education, astronomy, and even religion, but it’s fascinating to see how much of what we understand is impacted by the way in which we’ve evolved to learn about the world around us, adapt and thrive. With some of his own personal experiences thrown into the mix, both touching and funny (especially the practical joke he played on his colleagues with a modified oscilloscope) this book is well worth a read.
February 5, 2015
Bottleneck shows us nothing less than how our minds work, in terms of how we absorb and process information. I have read other titles on this subject, but this book explains it in a very accessible and readable way and I would highly recommend it.
Despite working for many years in education, my ideas about how learning really happens were elusive creatures, glimpsed in a forest of observations and reflections. I had always suspected some deeper magic was going on in our brains, and here it is! It was rewarding to find so many of my own conclusions about learning and how the world works, particularly in terms of our social and psychological constructs, confirmed by the evidence given here. The ideas were clearly explained and this book helped me understand them scientifically. But what I love most about Richard Epworth's approach is that he doesn't try to provide you with all the answers. Evidence yes, the scientific, technological and mathematical contexts, but most of all he asks great questions and makes me ask my own, and this, for me is the sign of a great author and thinker. A very stimulating and satisfying read.
Despite working for many years in education, my ideas about how learning really happens were elusive creatures, glimpsed in a forest of observations and reflections. I had always suspected some deeper magic was going on in our brains, and here it is! It was rewarding to find so many of my own conclusions about learning and how the world works, particularly in terms of our social and psychological constructs, confirmed by the evidence given here. The ideas were clearly explained and this book helped me understand them scientifically. But what I love most about Richard Epworth's approach is that he doesn't try to provide you with all the answers. Evidence yes, the scientific, technological and mathematical contexts, but most of all he asks great questions and makes me ask my own, and this, for me is the sign of a great author and thinker. A very stimulating and satisfying read.
November 2, 2015
There's a lot to digest in this book about the rate and effectiveness with which we take in information from the outside world through our various senses, and process it into something useful. Ironically, the way the book is organized, as well as the lack of specific takeaways or theses for individual sections, becomes a bit of a bottleneck of itself (it probably also doesn't help that I read this on Oyster, with poorly delineated chapters and poorly laid out diagrams). Still, some interesting concepts, and worth a read.
February 7, 2015
I received a free copy of this book from the GoodReads First Reads giveaways in exchange for an honest review. Fascinating book, glad I had the opportunity to read it.
September 16, 2018
Interesting
It provides thought-provoking ideas as well as insight into the learning process, which helps those in the field of teaching
It provides thought-provoking ideas as well as insight into the learning process, which helps those in the field of teaching
February 5, 2015
Bottleneck shows us nothing less than how our minds work, in terms of how we absorb and process information. I have read other titles on this subject, but this book explains it in a very accessible and readable way and I would highly recommend it.
Despite working for many years in education, my ideas about how learning really happens were elusive creatures, glimpsed in a forest of observations and reflections. I had always suspected some deeper magic was going on in our brains, and here it is! It was rewarding to find so many of my own conclusions about learning and how the world works, particularly in terms of our social and psychological constructs, confirmed by the evidence given here. The ideas were clearly explained and this book helped me understand them scientifically. But what I love most about Richard Epworth's approach is that he doesn't try to provide you with all the answers. Evidence yes, the scientific, technological and mathematical contexts, but most of all he asks great questions and makes me ask my own, and this, for me is the sign of a great author and thinker. A very stimulating and satisfying read.
Despite working for many years in education, my ideas about how learning really happens were elusive creatures, glimpsed in a forest of observations and reflections. I had always suspected some deeper magic was going on in our brains, and here it is! It was rewarding to find so many of my own conclusions about learning and how the world works, particularly in terms of our social and psychological constructs, confirmed by the evidence given here. The ideas were clearly explained and this book helped me understand them scientifically. But what I love most about Richard Epworth's approach is that he doesn't try to provide you with all the answers. Evidence yes, the scientific, technological and mathematical contexts, but most of all he asks great questions and makes me ask my own, and this, for me is the sign of a great author and thinker. A very stimulating and satisfying read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews