I would strongly suggest watching the video at 1.5 times regular speed. It changes it from typical ted talk happy showman to more of a raw standup. Interesting topic and it mirrors my own beliefs in consciousness. I tend to agree with GO about its ultimate utility. I'm too much of a nuts and bolts person I suppose.
Nothing wrong with being a nuts and bolts man David.
We have all the Academics confusing a nut from a bolt than we need. Reality bores them it appears, while most are forced to deal with it.
I respectfully disagree. Philosophical, metaphysical and spiritual discussions are necessary in developed "secular" societies, because many people think that science and rationality is all we need to solve the world's problems. Their materialist worldview prevents them from considering a large aspect of human nature, human evolutionary development and human psychology. The "solutions" to poverty, environmental destruction, wars, etc. will treat the most superficial symptoms and not contend with the underlying roots.
In some ways, everything happening in the world becomes more
serious when there is an underlying metaphysical reality to contend with, especially one that connects us all (via networks of consciousness perhaps, i.e. Donald Hoffman). The plights of others who are not "physically" connected to us via biology or immediate community still matter, and, more importantly, our actions may actually influence what happens to those people.
That being said, I understand how a purely scientific/philosophical discussion of how we perceive reality is seen as navel gazing and disconnected from the nuts and bolts of what is happening to people around the world. That's why it needs to be supplemented by a discussion and attempts to understand theology, social sciences, economics and politics (the latter much more rarely). An ethic needs to be embodied (made actionable) for us to pragmatically deal with the truths we discover.