Dan Dennett: Ants, terrorism, and the awesome power of memes

People resist the idea of applying evolutionary thinking to -- thinking. Here's one of those talks that can change your view of the world forever. Starting with the deceptively simple story of an ant, Dan Dennett unleashes a dazzling sequence of ideas, making a powerful case for the existence of "memes" -- a term coined by Richard Dawkins for mental concepts that are literally alive and capable of spreading from brain to brain. On the way, look out for: a powerful one-sentence secret of happiness, a compelling insight into terrorists' motivation, a chilling view of Islam, And just when you think you know where the talk's heading, it dramatically shifts direction and questions some of western culture's fundamental assumptions.

Video, 15 min 39 sec