Episode 3: Sphere Thinking

The New Copernicans are feeling their way along, with a new picture in their minds. They have an intuitive sense of a new way forward; they have, to use the words of the movie “Matrix,” “a splinter in their eye,” an intuitive sense that a 2D depiction of the world doesn’t quite match their 3D lived experience. They desire to do what Copernicus did—connect dots to form a new picture. The neuroscience of Iain McGilchrist reinforces this point. We must find ways to engage the right brain—the part of our brain that sees broadly, finds patterns, and creates meaning. We think first in pictures or frames—a right brain activity. When the facts do not fit our frame, the facts bounce off and the frame stays. Stories are one of the best ways to address and influence frames. One can use logic within frames, but must use stories between them, if the frame itself is to be influenced.