logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
25m 47s

Making Sense: Sight unseen

Vox
About this episode

Close your eyes and try to imagine an apple. Can you see anything? Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye. Since it was discovered, scientists have been asking the question: What is the mind’s eye even for?

This is the fifth episode of our six-part series, Making Sense.

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.

Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com

We read every email.

Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 2
A magical world at the ocean’s edge
In coastal California, researchers grapple with potentially losing a landscape they love. Guests: Rebecca Johnson, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science at the California Academy of Sciences; Peter Roopnarine, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology at t ... Show More
38m 42s
Jun 30
Ruff translation
We love our pets. And think we understand them. Are we fooling ourselves? Guests: ⁠Alexandra Horowitz⁠, dog cognition researcher at Barnard College; ⁠Holly Molinaro⁠, animal welfare scientist; ⁠Jared Martin⁠, filmmaker and dog owner For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/ ... Show More
35m 47s
Jun 25
Sick of “morning” sickness
If pregnant people need to eat for two, why do so many of us puke morning, noon, and night? Guests: Marlena Fejzo, Ph.D., geneticist, and Research Director at the HER Foundation. For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com ... Show More
33m 40s
Recommended Episodes
May 2016
Your Experiences With Aphantasia
Following the recent episode "Aphantasia: Blindness of the Mind's Eye," a number of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listeners wrote in about their own inability to summon voluntary mental images. Join Robert and Joe as they read and discuss some of the many listener mails on the matter. ... Show More
53m 6s
Jun 2024
Making the World Sparkle Again
Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, the brain seems evolutionarily designed to focus on the new and unexpected, on novel threats and opportunities. In our daily lives, this means we take wonderful things for granted. W ... Show More
50m 31s
Jul 2024
Glauc Talk: Exploring Glaucomflecken Lore: Jonathan and Bill
In this episode of Glauc Talk, we dive into the fascinating backstories of the beloved characters Jonathan and Bill. Discover the real-life inspirations behind Jonathan, the ever-loyal scribe, and Bill, the resident who captures the challenges and triumphs of Will's real medical ... Show More
48m 20s
Dec 2023
#384: Black Holes: A Surprising New Source for Mysterious Dark Energy? & Other Listener Questions Answered
While Fred and Andrew head off on an end of year break....we dip back into our recent past and bring you one of our 'all-questions' episodes for a repeat run, just in case you missed it the first time or simply need a refresh. Are you ready to have your understanding of the unive ... Show More
47m 42s
May 2024
Beyond The Dream of Thinking
In this podcast, Eckhart inspires a crowd in New York City. He talks about the importance of rooting ourselves in the transcendent dimension especially when we feel overwhelmed by the insanity of the world. He explains it’s easy to believe that we are a species who lost its way - ... Show More
51m 1s
Jun 2024
Knock Knock Eye: What Happens When Toxicology Meets Ophthalmology?
In this episode of Knock Knock Eye, I welcomes Dr. Josh Trebach to explore the intersection of toxicology and ophthalmology. Discover how various toxins affect the eyes, hear captivating stories from the ER, and learn about the dangers of common plants and chemicals in this engag ... Show More
44m 33s
Jun 2024
FE5.10 - Everything Will Be Vine
Vision without eyes? Intelligence without a brain? Are plants more akin to us than we have been prepared to acknowledge? Or are they different in ways we will forever strain to imagine? One way or another, a vine with some unusual abilities is shaking the field of botany to its f ... Show More
47m 12s
Jun 2024
Why Trying Too Hard Can Backfire On You
Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumerable benefits. But like all aspects of human behavior, you can sometimes get too much of a good thing. This week, we talk with philosopher Ted Slingerland about techniques to preven ... Show More
52m 17s
May 2024
What the Hell Is at the Edge of Space?
With the powers of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists discovered some super weird things in the early Universe, and it's making some nerds question our theory of everything. This story comes to us from our friends at Unexplainable at Vox Media. Find Unexplainable’s transc ... Show More
21m 59s
May 2024
Happiness Break: A Meditation on Cultivating Awe Through Colors
Experiencing awe can help us slow down and connect to the world around us. So how can we harness the power of this feeling? Host Dacher Keltner leads us in a colorful meditation to bring about awe. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3e9cyky5Practice: Please find a sp ... Show More
6m 21s