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You Actually Share Your Brain With a Silent Stranger

CGP Grey · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Neuroscience & the brainConsciousness & cognition

What it is

CGP Grey explains split-brain patients, where severing the corpus callosum lets the two hemispheres act independently. He uses this to explore the idea of two minds in one head.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN returns to it constantly in consciousness and decision-making threads as a clear, entertaining explanation of split-brain.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 7 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “I recommend watching this video by GPGrey, one of the best educational channels on YouTube”

    Explains the split brain phenomenon.

    otto_ortega, 2017-01 · Strong recommendation · in “Split Brain Does Not Lead to Split Consciousness”

  2. “the great explanation from CGP Grey”

    Explains how brain hemispheres can operate independently.

    BoppreH, 2016-11 · Recommendation · in “My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am”

  3. “did a fun little 2-part intro into”

    Fun intro to multiple minds contending for control.

    glenneroo, 2018-04 · Recommendation · in “The limits of information (2014)”

  4. “Oh wow, do I have a YouTube video for you”

    Explains how two selves can exist in one mind.

    teddyh, 2019-05 · Recommendation · in “Self-distancing can help you make better decisions”

  5. “CGP Grey made a great video about this”

    Explains split hemispheres acting independently.

    surround, 2020-08 · Recommendation · in “A man who can read letters but not numbers exposes roots of consciousness”

  6. “Split brains imply some very interesting ideas around of consciousness.”

    Split brain cases raise interesting ideas about consciousness.

    tick_tock_tick, 2021-10 · Recommendation · in “Spinoza’s God: Einstein believed in it, but what was it?”

  7. “To them I suggest watching”

    Shows severed corpus callosum effects supporting two-parts-of-brain idea.

    alexpotato, 2025-05 · Recommendation · in “The language brain matters more for programming than the math brain? (2020)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: split brain, corpus callosum, consciousness, neuroscience, cgp grey

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