Shots of Awe

Shots of Awe

2014, Philosophy  -    -  Playlist 30 Comments
6.70
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Ratings: 6.70/10 from 141 users.

Jason Silva hosts Shots of Awe, a short documentary series that summates some of mankind's most daunting scientific pursuits into fun and exciting videos that the layman can understand.

Silva aims to inspire and excite those not versed in the topic through the passion he clearly has for the subject matter he's presenting, and every single episode of Shots leaves you feeling inspired and hopeful about what human beings can and will accomplish in the years to come. Hera are some of the more enjoyable and enlightening episodes, and a little about what they touch on:

Exploring Space: Cosmic Revolutionaries: What uses will we put our cosmic travel pursuits to? What are some of the benefits and advances that will organically develop as space travel becomes routine?

Technium: Attempts to put to rest the notion that technology is unnatural, and poses the argument that anything birthed out of humankind is birthed out of nature because humankind is birthed from nature.

Engineering Our Own Divinity: The buildings and spaces we build create a feedback loop that informs the lives we live, so we directly control the world and life we experience.

Digital Shamans: A syllabus of books written by brilliant people whose texts are geared towards thinking beyond the limits of the reality most believe we live in.

Psychedelic Technology: The very first thoughts an inventor has that lead to the invention of a previously uncreated technology are in fact hallucinations - thoughts that are not bound by the present reality.

Existential Bummer: Our most extreme emotions of happiness and love are often tinged with a hint of sadness, and Silva theorizes that it is because we have an understanding of the fleeting nature of all living things - that we and every living thing we love will die.

Artificial Intelligence: Fears that machine will eradicate us, its creator, are unfounded. Artificial intelligence is just an extension of intelligence beyond the bounds of physicality, it is us.

We're On the Right Track: Despite doom and gloom theories about the disastrous state of present day society, hard data indicates that humanity is prospering as greatly as it ever has - the odds a man will die at the hands of another man, on a global scale, are the lowest they have ever been in history, for example.

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Evil Ravana
Evil Ravana
4 days ago

All and everything what you talk about is just an out line of it all. The truth is deferent and it is there in front of you. You can Run but you can't Hide.

Bender
Bender
2 years ago

Geeza seems to be holding his wee through the whole series, hence the constant body twitching and accelerated speech. Nature calls, better take it

Russ Tul
Russ Tul
5 years ago

"Epoch" is pronounced "eepoch"

Superman
Superman
6 years ago

I laughed at these videos. Every time he started to talk I felt like giving him pom-poms. It seemed like this is amazing and that is fascinating and I continued to scratch my head over and over. There was so much unbelievable rhetoric and non sense and he really does not understand the philosophers or the meaning of there works. My favorite part was when he proclaims "all of over the world people are living better" & I thought.. really? That is why everyone is so happy in this country? I could list hundreds of examples where quality of life has gone down. Yes the smart phone is nice but despite this neat gadget the standard of living is down not up in the US. I should have stopped there but I continue to watch this love feast that did not resemble reality. He is peppy and makes you feel "special" just like a cheerleader.

Hrothgar Von Grumbles
Hrothgar Von Grumbles
7 years ago

Lighten up francis. I think the work is pretty cool given the medium. It's 2-3 minutes and many of you are slamming him for scratching the surface? Are you kidding... of course he is... it's 180 seconds. It's meant to be a spark.. A small thought made interesting by his hyper energy and visuals. Certainly repetitive and cheesy in spots but I give the fella some credit for trying to create a spark. I for one find them pretty enjoyable in doses.. The fretting and intellectualism here is just so self-important.

House
House
7 years ago

Here is something recycled of thoughts, put into a fanciful sequence of music, cunning semantics and visual playfulness all to seduce anyone watching that the content is something of value or fruitful.

iopumerle
iopumerle
8 years ago

He's not inventing anything new, nor philosophically rigorous, that is true, but he has a power to inspire which is pretty incredible. His channel is a work of art, he's sharing with us the world he sees through the filter of his conscience, and it's beautiful. I wonder if other similar channels on youtube exist.

bluetortilla
bluetortilla
9 years ago

Naw, I think he's awesome. His beat style and frenetic pace are annoying as hell however.

disqus_agHQGNOQnP
disqus_agHQGNOQnP
9 years ago

He is not original in his thinking or speaking.
He is just puking other's ideas, quotes, art, etc.
It seems he is bragging about other's creations as if they are his own.
He bought his own internal hype.
It is annoyingly lame.

Deck Hazen
Deck Hazen
9 years ago

I have to go along with the comments that follow (Val Valiant Five) - I guess its meant to sound deep, but it just sounds like psycho-babble to me. Jason might also consider cutting back on the coffee.

Val Valiant Five
Val Valiant Five
9 years ago

So people know, this is not a documentary; It's 2 minutes-or-less snippets by a very excitable A.A.D.D. dude presented as quasi-philosophy. Some of it is insightful, but the majority of topics briefly (very briefly) hit on here will be extremely painful for anyone with a philosophical/scientific background to watch.

As far as I can tell, it's meant for to be viewed on an iphone in bars to make you look deep and interesting to the person you are trying to pick up.

Rodney Bresch
Rodney Bresch
9 years ago

“Character is a vital lie”. This is how I interpret that: Identity is an illusion, contrived by nature, to facilitate evolutionary requisites,
such as life and death, success and failure. I want to touch on so many other parts, but I’ll limit my rambling to thus…sorry, his and other rants like it, always excite me. He's like Mckenna, on speed lol.

Rodney Bresch
Rodney Bresch
9 years ago

Space was too volatile an environment, for life as we know it, to form. It most likely started in the depths of the ocean. Water was “our” first medium. We moved up towards the surface(less pressure), and eventually flopped into our next medium, air(even less pressure, or more “elbow room”). Now, we’ve been moving into a realm, where there’s “virtually” no pressure, or space. Or are we virtualizing the process, as we create digital realms, to continue the process of evolution, virtually unhindered? Or some combo, as the realms are fused…interstellar nodes, anyone? Lol

But, at the earlier stages of development, like in the womb, we needed to be more grounded. We had to learn to swim, before we could crawl, and to walk and run, before we could take the next leap, and so on.

Rodney Bresch
Rodney Bresch
9 years ago

It got low votes, and some content is quite repetitive, esp watching them all at once. But, it's full of little poetic jewels...stay hungry folks.

desktop joe
desktop joe
9 years ago

I have lived on this planet for over 50 years now and have seen the progress of technology grow exponentially over that time. Humanity however has yet to grow up and until we shed our cultural fears, embrace our better angels, acknowledge ourselves as one race not all the wonders of the universe are going to transcend us. I hope, I still hope that we can grow up before we get out into space otherwise I just see our race as a virus invading the wider universe.

oQ
oQ
9 years ago

I think i would have loved it even if i was blind or deaf.
Jason Silva has the ability to use words in a way that he leaves no room between them, only after he stops are you left realizing that those spaces were connected with perfect illustrations and accompanied by the right note, right tone, right emphasis.
He tells his reverence for ART and for the infinite ways one can explore the medium of their choice.
He did just that with making this series.
Highly recommended, and i'm not done.

oQ
oQ
9 years ago

Will check it out for SURE now, solid opinions to rest on. I already like the description.

Achems_Razor
Achems_Razor
9 years ago

Good stuff, enjoyed this upwards mobility reach for the stars fresh and positive doc. Recommended!

DigiWongaDude
DigiWongaDude
9 years ago

In the grandiose quagmire that has become the status quo, here's a fresh, loud, educated, impassioned, spontaneous, frenzy of a voice. Well done Mr Silva (for your enthusiasm alone) to extract from the viewer, an emotional response. Dive in. Discuss. Dismiss. Debate. There is plenty for all in this in-your-face presentation.