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  • [pleasant music]

  • - [sniffing]

  • Ah, nothing like bacon and eggs in the morning.

  • It's a hearty meal that holds you together for the whole day.

  • It's a combination so obvious that it's been around

  • for as long as both foods existed.

  • Humans naturally loved these foods together,

  • so they became a staple of breakfast.

  • Or did they?

  • What if I were to tell you that the traditional combination

  • of bacon and eggs isn't part of our natural history,

  • but is instead a corporate conspiracy

  • orchestrated by society's true puppet masters?

  • It isn't a breakfast for champions.

  • It's a breakfast for sheeple.

  • [electronic music]

  • ♪ ♪

  • We think that a lot of commonplace things

  • are the way they are because of collective free choice,

  • when in fact, sometimes,

  • one or two people alone

  • made a decision and created something

  • that is now taken for granted as part of society--

  • just part of life.

  • Here's the real story behind bacon and eggs.

  • It all begins with Sigmund Freud.

  • Or rather, his nephew, Edward Bernays.

  • Bernays is credited as the "Father of Public Relations,"

  • the product of a time when the world

  • had become just small enough

  • that you could manipulate a lot of people at once

  • because of the way that advertising, news,

  • and radio could reach a large number of people quickly.

  • Bernays took advantage of mass media

  • not with the intention to inform,

  • but with the intention to control.

  • In the 1920s, Ed Bernays asked a doctor

  • who worked at his agency whether a breakfast should be

  • heavy or light, and the doctor pretty much said,

  • "I guess heavy would be better."

  • Bernays then had that doctor

  • get 4,500 other doctors to confirm that.

  • - All of them concurred that a heavy breakfast

  • was better for the health of the American people.

  • - Then, Bernays lobbied newspapers

  • to publish that all these doctors were saying

  • you should eat a big ol' breakfast.

  • But he wasn't doing this to improve public health.

  • He was doing this because Beech-Nut Packing Company,

  • a major supplier of bacon,

  • was paying him to do it.

  • - The sale of bacon went up,

  • and I still have a letter

  • from Bartlett Arkell,

  • president of Beech-Nut Packing Company,

  • telling me so.

  • - So we collectively, as a country,

  • agreed that bacon was our breakfast meat of choice.

  • But we didn't actually make that choice at all.

  • And that's just breakfast.

  • Our lives are full of decisions that we think

  • we make of our own free will.

  • But do we?

  • [dramatic music]

  • These days, our markets are inundated

  • with products and choices.

  • But is having many choices good or bad?

  • [dreamy electronic music]

  • ♪ ♪

  • Most people say they like a lot of choices.

  • But do they really?

  • We took our cameras and a few pounds of jelly beans

  • to Venice Beach to find out.

  • First, we invited people to pick

  • one of two flavor choices.

  • - Yeah, good.

  • - Yeah, I'm happy with it. Yeah.

  • Thank you.

  • It was an easy choice to make.

  • I chose it 'cause I wanted something fresh in my mouth.

  • - I like it--I like lemon and citrus and everything like that.

  • Good taste. I'm happy with my choice.

  • - Most subjects were content with their selection

  • when it was a choice between two options.

  • But what happens when we offer more choices?

  • Will the subjects be just as happy with their decision?

  • - I see.

  • Not licorice...

  • Okay. Can I do more than one? Or just one?

  • - Oh, my goodness.

  • Mmm.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • Well, I'm kind of regretting not trying a fruit one.

  • Because with jelly beans, it's more--

  • fruit is more natural to me.

  • Like, I probably should have gone

  • for my first choice, raspberry.

  • Maybe I would have been happy.

  • - There's, um--I mean, there's a lot to choose from.

  • I'm gonna try one?

  • - Okay. Marshmallow.

  • - I don't know. Uh...

  • You're always questioning, like,

  • "Did I make the right choice," right?

  • Like, initially, I wanted to try pineapple,

  • but then I thought marshmallow,

  • I don't want to miss out on marshmallow, or peach,

  • or blueberry even.

  • If I could choose again, I would probably pick peach.

  • - All right.

  • Pineapple.

  • Very good. It's my favorite fruit.

  • Mmm, I could have had blueberry,

  • which is also one of my favorites.

  • - Uh, kind of an impulse decision.

  • I kind of wish I looked at the whole

  • thing a little bit more. - Yeah.

  • - Maybe I would have picked a better flavor.

  • - So maybe sometimes we're actually

  • happier with fewer choices?

  • In fact, researchers have been

  • exploring this idea for years.

  • According to the famous jam experiment,

  • a study by Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper published in 2000,

  • too many similar choices may even stop us

  • from making any choice at all.

  • The study compared two store displays:

  • one with 6 varieties of jam and one with 24.

  • Although fewer consumers stopped to sample jam

  • at the display with limited choices,

  • a full 30% of them made a purchase.

  • By contrast, only 3% of the consumers

  • at the more extensive display

  • actually bought a jar of jam.

  • This is called "Choice paralysis."

  • But life is all about choices.

  • We like having choices.

  • Don't we?

  • Or are we happier

  • when we have no choice at all?

  • [static]

  • Hello, and welcome to "Tea Time Word Scrambles,"

  • the game show where the competition is steep

  • and trouble is always brewing?

  • Some of our contestants will be given a choice

  • of caffeinated black tea or soothing herbal tea.

  • And the others will be given no choice at all.

  • Once the tea takes effect,

  • they'll be asked to unscramble some words.

  • Which contestants will be happier with their performance?

  • Those who have their choice of tea, or those who don't?

  • Let's find out. It's "Tea Time."

  • My name is Michael Stevens, your host today.

  • Let's meet our contestant, Gisele.

  • - Yay! - Nice to meet you, Gisele.

  • - Nice to meet you too.

  • - Tell me a little bit about yourself.

  • - I'm from New York, and I've lived in LA for al--

  • [bell dinging] - Ooh!

  • Gisele, you know what that sound means.

  • - What? - That means it's Tea Time.

  • - Yay! - Go ahead and take a seat

  • in the Tea Seat. - Okay.

  • I like tea.

  • - Well, you're in for a treat, Gisele.

  • - Okay. - Because today you are going

  • to be unscrambling words. - Uh-oh.

  • - A task that requires energy-- - Yeah.

  • - Because there's a time limit, but it also requires focus.

  • - Mm-hmm. Okay. - Steady, calm nerves.

  • - Got it. - And patience.

  • - Yeah. - So,

  • today the choice is yours.

  • You can either have

  • some herbal tea that will keep you calm and focused...

  • - Okay. - Or you can have

  • some black tea that's caffeinated

  • and will give you some energy.

  • - Hmm.

  • I'm gonna go with black. - Black tea?

  • - Yeah. - All right.

  • Go ahead and pour some black tea--

  • you know what? I'll have some too.

  • Mmm, wonderful.

  • Now, what made you pick black tea?

  • - Um, I want to be energized.

  • - Okay. - Yeah.

  • - Here's to you. - Cheers.

  • - Cheers.

  • Mmm. [bell dinging]

  • Whoa, you know what that sound means.

  • It's word scrambling time. - Okay.

  • - Remember, this subject had a free choice

  • of which tea to drink.

  • Will freedom of choice bring her

  • happiness and satisfaction?

  • Gisele, these are your words.

  • - Oh, my God. When do I start?

  • - Well, we're gonna put three minutes on the clock.

  • - Okay. - Go ahead.

  • You can use these steps

  • to access the letters.

  • The goal here is to solve

  • as many as possible within the three minutes.

  • - Got it. - And...go!

  • - [sighs]

  • [playful music]

  • - Starting with word number five.

  • ♪ ♪

  • Gisele has kitten.

  • That looks like it could be the right answer.

  • ♪ ♪

  • - Oh, yeah. - Vacuum.

  • - Uh...

  • Um... - Hearth.

  • Looking good.

  • - Oh, I don't know what this is.

  • Um...

  • [bell dinging] - Oh!

  • And time is up, Gisele. Come on down.

  • And let's take a look at how you did.

  • - Oh. Oh, no. [laughs]

  • - For number one, you got vacuum,

  • which is correct, very good job. - Yay!

  • - Very good job. For number two, hearth.

  • Correct, very good job. - Yay!

  • - Now, number three, you have "Taffrid."

  • - [blows raspberry] - It's a very good word,

  • but it's not one.

  • The actual answer is adrift.

  • - Oh, I was so stuck on that.

  • - Number five, you have kitten.

  • That was the first one you solved, and kitten is correct.

  • - Yay! - Very good job.

  • Now, down here at the bottom,

  • uh, the answer is lounge.

  • You have "Lougne."

  • - Oh! I spelled it wrong! [buzzer blares]

  • - No, we can't accept "Lougne," unfortunately.

  • Well, Gisele, you received

  • one, two, three points. [bell ringing]

  • So, how do you feel you did?

  • - I should've probably had the other tea

  • because then it would have calmed my nerves.

  • I should have chose the other tea.

  • - This subject clearly regrets her choice.

  • The fact that she chose the tea herself

  • gives her the opportunity to second-guess her decision.

  • What about the other subjects

  • who were given freedom of choice?

  • "Noric," we were looking for ironic.

  • - Isn't that ironic? - No, it is not.

  • What we were looking for was hearth.

  • - Hearth? - Adrift.

  • Shroud. - Are these words--

  • actual, real words? - Yeah, they are.

  • Tell me, Heather, how do you feel you did today?

  • - Uh, not as well as I had hoped.

  • - If you could do it again would you choose a different tea?

  • - Yes. You can only get better.

  • You can't get worse than one.

  • - I think, probably, if I had chosen the other tea,

  • I would have gotten everything correct.

  • - None of these contestants

  • were happy with the choices they made.

  • But what happens when

  • the freedom to choose is taken away?

  • Trin, tell us which tea has been

  • randomly assigned to Athena today?

  • - Athena has been assigned black tea.

  • - Ooh, caffeinated, energizing black tea.

  • Here's to you, and good luck.

  • - Thank you.

  • - Mmm. Oh, wow.

  • That's good tea. [bell dinging]

  • Athena, you've had the tea we assigned you.

  • Black tea. Caffeinated tea.

  • Let's see how that serves you in this challenge.

  • - Oh, boy. - Here are your words!

  • You have three minutes beginning...now!

  • - Oh, boy.

  • - Lots of choices.

  • - Hmm.

  • - Kitten. - Finally.

  • Oh...

  • - Don't worry, Athena. We've had far worse.

  • Two minutes. - Oh, boy.

  • - Two minutes remain. - Nothing is coming to me.

  • - These words are not easy.

  • Lounge.

  • - Yes. [bell dinging]

  • - And that's time.

  • Athena, come on down.

  • And let's take a look at how you did.

  • - Okay. - So, for word number five,

  • you have kitten... kitten is correct.

  • - Good job. - Yay.

  • - And for the final word, you have lounge.

  • And the answer is lounge.

  • [bell dinging] Very good. Very good work.

  • So you got 2 out of the 12. - Oh, boy.

  • - Tell me, how do you feel you did.

  • - I'm just happy that I got two of them.

  • - Do you think you would have been able to solve more

  • if you'd had a calming tea?

  • - Probably not, you need a little something

  • to kick-start your brain activity.

  • - This subject, who was given no choice,

  • was happy with the tea assigned to her,

  • despite getting only two words right.

  • And she wasn't the only one. - Whoo!

  • - How do you think you did?

  • - I think I did pretty-- pretty great.

  • - If you could do it again, would you have

  • preferred to have been assigned a different tea?

  • - No. - Studies have shown that

  • sometimes we're happier when we don't have a choice.

  • Well, for two points,

  • you--you win nothing.

  • This game is actually more about investigating

  • the mind, so in reality,

  • the real winner today is everyone.

  • Thanks for playing, and remember,

  • no matter where you live or who you are,

  • it's always... both: "Tea Time!"

  • - Damn it, I just found another word.

  • [subtle electronic music]

  • ♪ ♪

  • - So, it's not always preferable

  • to be in the driver's seat of your life.

  • Sometimes, the pressure to make a decision

  • can cause you to dwell on the options you didn't choose

  • and hinder your performance.

  • But what if there's a difference between

  • the physical process of making a decision

  • and your consciousness being aware

  • that a decision has been made?

  • What if all your decisions are made by someone--

  • no, something else--

  • a split second before you're aware you've made them?

  • ♪ ♪

  • [buzzer blares] Hmm.

  • This task seems easy enough.

  • Just push either button before the light comes on.

  • [buzzer blares] Mm. Mm.

  • [buzzer blares] Ah!

  • So why is it so difficult? Wow!

  • It's difficult because this machine

  • is actually reading my mind.

  • It knows when I decide to push a button

  • and lights them up before I can actually push one.

  • - How does it feel when it's happening?

  • - It feels like... [buzzer blares]

  • Like, right then.

  • It already knew. [buzzer blares]

  • I'm trying to not have my mind read.

  • [buzzer blares] Ah!

  • Here's how the box works.

  • My decision to push a button doesn't begin when I think it does.

  • It's actually preceded by subconscious activity, I'm not aware of

  • But that the machine can detect.

  • Now the machine isn't predicting which button I will push,

  • it's determining when I am about to push one, before I know it.

  • For the first few minutes, I push buttons,

  • and the box records my brain activity

  • learning which behaviors follow which subconcsious processes.

  • ♪ ♪

  • Eventually, the box can know what I'm about to do,

  • before even I do.

  • In other words, it can read my subconscious mind

  • and tell me what I was going to do

  • before I know I was going to do it.

  • That's the part that freaks me out.

  • This is called a free will experiment

  • because it begs the question of what free will actually is.

  • If the subconscious knows what you're doing

  • before you do it, is it really your decision,

  • or do you just think it's your decision?

  • [buzzer blares] Wow.

  • [laughs]

  • I'm trying to surprise it.

  • [buzzer blares] Ah.

  • - The interesting thing is to see, like,

  • for instance, that you become closer to the machine,

  • and you definitely speed up.

  • - I feel very competitive.

  • I don't want my mind to be read.

  • I find this process frustrating...

  • [buzzer blares] Mm!

  • Even though I know how the box works.

  • But what if you didn't know what the box did

  • before you tried it?

  • I want to introduce you to Moran, and this is Diana

  • from the YouTube channel Physics Girl,

  • one of my favorite YouTube channels.

  • - Michael, stop.

  • - Derek, thanks for being here.

  • I'm very excited to introduce you to Moran Cerf

  • from Northwester. - Nice to meet you.

  • - And he's brought his box.

  • Diana and Derek have scientific minds.

  • But they have not been told what the box really does.

  • Moran explains a deceptively easy game.

  • - So we could-- - The lights are on,

  • don't touch it. - Yeah.

  • - Once the box begins to beat

  • their conscious decision-making to the punch,

  • will they be able to figure out what's going on?

  • - Do I look a bit like a jellyfish?

  • - You feel comfortable? - Great. I feel amazing.

  • - Okay. You can start.

  • [dramatic music]

  • - For the first 15 minutes, the box calibrates

  • and learns how the subject's mind acts

  • before making a decision.

  • Then, the fun begins.

  • [buzzer blares]

  • ♪ ♪

  • [buzzer blares]

  • ♪ ♪

  • - Before? [buzzer blares]

  • - Yeah.

  • [buzzer blares]

  • - Both of our subjects seem increasingly confused

  • and frustrated. [buzzer blares]

  • - [laughs]

  • - I know exactly how they feel.

  • [buzzer blares] - [laughs]

  • - It's hard 'cause sometimes, like, the light comes on

  • while I'm going to push it, you know?

  • It's kind of-- - Yeah, yeah.

  • Well, Moran, do you want to tell him?

  • - So, this box here

  • is reading your brain activity

  • and tries to predict not which button you're gonna press,

  • but when, and then turn the lights on

  • just before you press the button.

  • - This is predicting when I'm gonna make the decision.

  • What? - Yeah.

  • - This is amazing.

  • - I definitely noticed the lights going on often

  • when I was going to hit the buttons.

  • - Mm-hmm. - But also there were times

  • when, like, I wasn't gonna make any choice,

  • and they just went on, so I was like, well--

  • - Why? How do you know? - [laughing] Right.

  • - What? - How do you know that?

  • Maybe the lights just stopped your brain

  • from telling you that you were about to make a choice.

  • - It's not just, "Oh, he's about to push it,"

  • but it's "he is about to become

  • aware that he is going to push the button."

  • - I'm trying to think, like, I'm still trying to out-think you.

  • Like, I'm trying to be like, "Oh, I'm gonna

  • "push the left button, I'm gonna--

  • wait, no, I'm gonna do the right."

  • - It's interesting that you put it that way.

  • Because really, it's not about out-thinking us,

  • it's about out-thinking yourself.

  • The implications of this are kind of chilling.

  • We could affect the decisions you make

  • in all aspects of your life

  • if we could tell you things like,

  • "Which of these two paintings will you prefer?"

  • - Mm-hmm. - Which candidate

  • do you want to vote for, or imagine

  • using this for dating.

  • Because it's reading your subconscious mind...

  • - Mm-hmm. - We might be able to tell that

  • you prefer someone that you don't actually

  • think you do.

  • - Well, that sounds scary.

  • [laughter]

  • But--but at the same time,

  • I feel like I-- I don't know.

  • I'm such a human, Michael, I feel like

  • my humans response is like, "Okay,

  • "there's a process my brain goes through.

  • "I get it. You learned it.

  • But it's still my brain and still my process."

  • - Denial. - Is...

  • - I--I like to call it "Limitations" of free will.

  • - And by the way, we know that you're gonna have

  • chicken salad for tomorrow's dinner.

  • [laughter] - Yes, that's very clear.

  • It's very good at predicting that.

  • - Yeah. - [laughing]

  • [subtle electronic music]

  • ♪ ♪

  • - Like falling dominoes,

  • a whole chain of things has led up

  • to now, this very moment.

  • In your life, those dominoes might be

  • your parents, your childhood, the books you've read,

  • your friends, things that have influenced you,

  • what you had for breakfast,

  • how you felt this afternoon.

  • Everything has led up to now, that final domino,

  • but how it falls, well, that's your choice, right?

  • Or is it? [sighs]

  • Moran's box kind of questions some of that.

  • If your brain can tell us what you're going to do

  • before you even know you're going to do it,

  • is your conscious mind actually being controlled

  • by your subconscious mind?

  • And if your subconscious can be fooled,

  • then who is actually in charge?

  • Do you truly have free will?

  • Or are you just...

  • like a puppet?

  • A puppet who thinks

  • it has no strings?

  • Does your conscious, aware self

  • just take credit for things

  • your unconscious body's already

  • decided to do?

  • [laughs] Well, more research needs to be done.

  • But what we do know is that

  • things you normally wouldn't consider part of you

  • are a gigantic part of you.

  • I think Kermit the Frog said it best:

  • "Although I'm not sure exactly what Jim Henson did,

  • whatever it was, it really moved me."

  • [electronic music]

  • ♪ ♪

[pleasant music]

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