Episode 106

Part six of another mind-map ramble with Miriam. After some vague talk about occasional "glitches" in reality, Miriam brings up the 19th century "Bedford Level Experiment" which appeared, initially, to show the Earth to be flat. Skirting around the "observer" effect in quantum mechanics, we get on to talking about the magic of naming things, the cognitive "chunking" of reality, and the way the mind economises by sometimes operating with old maps (possibly explaining why we sometimes can't see what's right in front of us). Miriam then describes a childhood imaginal encounter with Santa before we're reminded of the South Park "Imaginationland" trilogy. This then leads to a discussion of homeopathy, placebo effects and the role of belief in medicine.

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• glitches in reality
• Bedford Level experiment
• Flat Earth societies
• QM observer effect
• naming magic
• "chunking"
• Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
• Santa Claus
• South Park "Imaginationland" trilogy
• homeopathy
• placebo effects
• Grimpoteuthis ("dumbo octopus")