Why are we conscious of so little?
Much of the time humans seem to operate on automatic pilot. So why are we conscious of so little of what goes on around us?
Sleep, day-dreaming, meditation – these are all different states of awareness. In these states we are not really aware of what is going on around us. But even when humans are awake, we take in very little about our surroundings. So this week we speak to psychologists and neuroscientists to ask, why are we conscious of so little?
Presenter and producer: David Edmonds
Editor: Richard Knight
(Photo: X-ray image of human head with lightning / Credit: Getty Images)
Last on
Broadcasts
- Mon 28 Oct 201909:06GMTBBC World Service East Asia & East and Southern Africa only
- Mon 28 Oct 201913:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Mon 28 Oct 201918:06GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Mon 28 Oct 201921:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 28 Oct 201923:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Tue 29 Oct 201902:32GMTBBC World Service except West and Central Africa
- Tue 29 Oct 201903:32GMTBBC World Service West and Central Africa
- Sat 29 Aug 202022:32GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 31 Aug 202001:32GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 31 Aug 202008:06GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 31 Aug 202014:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 31 Aug 202015:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 31 Aug 202019:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
Get the podcast
Subscribe or download individual episodes for free
Why do we look the way we do?
Tattoos, trainers, jeans, hair, ties ... why?
Podcast
![]()
The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions
