- Are you change blind?
- Let's talk about that.
(upbeat music begins)
- Good mythical morning!
- Mythical beasts, today Buddy System premieres.
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watch our musical adventure narrative series.
It's scripted.
- Wow. - There was a script.
- Wow, that makes it sound very... it is interesting.
It's great.
Watch it.
But watch this now. - Every Wednesday.
- Watch this because this is happening right now.
Link, I hate to break it to you, but you're blind.
- No I'm not. - To change.
- To change?
- Yes, along with most all humans,
this is the way our brain works.
We have been wired in such a way as when we are taking in
a scene or a situation, we can only focus
on so many things at a time.
Our brains would be completely overwhelmed
if we tried to focus on every single detail.
So we have something called change blindness,
also known as cognitive blindness
or inattentional blindness.
So we're not paying attention to every single thing.
- 'Cause you can't get everything.
If you try to get everything, you get nothing.
- And usually you're focusing on one thing at a time.
There's actually no true multitasking, right?
So when you're focusing on one thing
you tend to miss big details.
Perfect example of this, you may have seen this video,
this video went around on the internet.
We're gonna show you a few slides,
just a few pics from that.
This actually is back from 1999, Harvard University.
These two guys did an experiment where
they had some people playing basketball.
They weren't really playing basketball,
they were sort of just passing a basketball.
- [Link] In front of elevators.
- And going around in circles and stuff
and what you're supposed to do is you ask
the subject watching this to count how many times
the people in the white shirts pass the basketball.
50% of the people who watch this video
don't notice the huge gorilla that comes through.
It's actually just a woman in a gorilla suit
who comes through, stands in the middle and then walks out.
Because you've been asked to focus on one thing,
you miss something that's very big.
- Is it a female gorilla if it's
a woman in a gorilla suit or is it...?
- I don't seem to think too much about these things.
- Well, you didn't focus on it.
You're change blind to - It's just a woman
in a gorilla suit. - the gender of gorilla suits.
- I don't know.
I doubt that the suit was anatomically correct or incorrect.
- But if it was, it would be the gender of the suit,
not the person wearing it. - Yeah.
- That's not what this is about.
- No.
- Okay so, but you're actually really good at details.
If I were to go in our office and rearrange something,
you would probably notice and I don't
notice that kind of thing. - I have.
- So I'm actually going to use you as the subject today.
We've done some spot the differences, if you will.
We're gonna present you with a few scenarios,
some pictures and video and actually some live stuff
to see if you can notice the differences.
- And is this an opportunity for them to play along?
- Well, if you choose to, yes.
You are not prohibited from playing along.
- You're not prohibited.
- You're encouraged to play along.
It's time for...
♪ Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes ♪
♪ Turn and spot the differences ♪
- Turn which way?
- Turn towards this computer monitor
and I want you to take this first image in.
As you can see, this is-
- [Link] This is Lizzy
- [Rhett] Lizzy spitting into your coffee cup.
- Are you serious?
- Well, I mean, there's photo evidence.
- [Link] That's a high quality photo
of her spitting in my coffee mug.
- [Rhett] And she looked like she really
worked some spit up.
- [Link] This could be in a magazine.
- She spit some water into it, but it was in her mouth
and now you're drinking it.
- Well, I put tea over top of it.
- Oh, that's Lizzy tea. (chuckles)
- So I'm supposed to be taking this in?
- Take in the details, we're going to change one thing.
- That's cool, that's a cool photo.
- Now this isn't gonna be side by side, okay?
This isn't like typical spot of the difference.
This is change blindness.
So we're gonna change something
and then we're gonna see if you notice it.
- Okay, all right.
- [Rhett] You got it, you're taking it in?
- [Link] I don't appreciate it, but I'm taking it in.
- Okay and now let's go to black for a second
so he can forget that. - Everything's black.
- Bring in the new image.
- [Link] Well, it looks... okay,
so you photoshopped something.
Well that... hm, but she's still spitting in,
is that your mug now?
- Oh wow, very observant.
- That's your mug!
That's not it.
It's the bobble heads are switched.
- [Rhett] Well, I knew, now I knew you would get this right.
- [Link] Right there in the middle.
- 'Cause you're like, oh we're not in the right order,
it's the kind of thing that you get immediately.
- You're not gonna put it's Rhett and Link,
they're gonna think my bobble head's you.
- You got that super fast, didn't you?
You were stalling, you got it immediately.
- Yeah, I'm prescient. - I knew that you
would get that immediately. - Is that the word, prescient?
- This one was supposed to be the easy one for you.
- Don't spit in my mug.
- Okay, here's another one.
This is Kevin enjoying looking through your diary,
he's always found it interesting the way you decorated it.
- [Link] "Linky's Diary: Do not bead"
Read, that's some big lips on the front of that diary.
What, again, another high quality photo
from the crew.
- You're acting like you've never seen your diary before.
Like "that's some big lips, somebody kissed my diary."
This is your freaking diary, I found it on your desk.
- No, I don't think that's my diary.
I think you went through a lot of trouble
to impersonate what you think my diary would be.
I keep a journal, man.
I'm taking it in the whole time.
- [Rhett] Take it in, take in the details.
- [Link] I've been soaking it in the whole time.
- There's two differences that you will
see in this one, okay? - Oh, two differences.
- I believe in you, man.
You're the detail man.
Two, I believe you can do it.
- All right, I'm ready.
- Switcheroonie.
- [Link] I was thinking that the Merl albums
will be switched but I honestly don't know
if they are 'cause the bottom one is the same.
Linky's diary, do not... it says dairy now.
Nope, it doesn't.
- Linky's dairy journal.
- Kevin's off eye is now wonky.
- [Rhett] Oh, wow.
- [Link] Man, I'm having trouble with this one.
- There's two differences, man.
- There's two freaking differences?
I think that the... man, I don't know for sure
but I think that the middle and the top
album on the left are switched.
- Okay.
- I'm guessing on that one.
I'm just going on instincts.
- Anything else?
- I'm tapping into my reptilian brain.
Man, and then his fingers are in the same place.
I don't see another one. - You give up?
- His hair's part of the other direction.
- Okay, let's show him the two differences.
You were right about the albums being switched.
- [Link] Okay, I was right.
- [Rhett] And the ship is turned the other way.
That would've been tough.
If you had have gotten that one,
I would think you were a change blind genius.
- [Link] The ship is sailing West.
- [Rhett] Yes.
- Oh man. - It's not necessarily West,
you realize, just 'cause it's left
but we discuss directions later.
- It was north, there was a-
- Okay, now we're gonna move on to some videos, okay?
- Let's move on to some videos
'cause I'll be better at that.
- So watch this one through, this is a little
kitchen scene that we created-
- Let me take some of Lizzie's spit first.
- This is a kitchen scene that we've created for you.
Roll that.
There's Mike.
He scratched his butt, he sniffed it
and then he stuck it into your personal box of Mini-Wheats.
- Are you kidding me?
- Yeah... No, I'm not kidding.
- Was his hand in the underwear?
- Ah well, you can taste the Mini-Wheats and find out.
(laughs)
- Oh man. - Okay, so that was it.
I mean, there there's a lot to take in there.
You're gonna be looking for three changes, okay?
Think about that scene, now we changed three things.
Let's watch it again. - Three changes.
Okay, Mike's hat's different, right off the bat.
Lizzie's carrying a Streamy, I don't remember seeing that.
The Will It posters still the same, even though we sell
two of those, available at rhettandlink.com/store.
I thought it was gonna be a different
Will It poster, it's the same one.
- Link, I am very impressed.
You got two of the three changes very quickly.
Let's show him all three changes here.
Jen is cutting a different color apple.
That's the only thing you didn't get.
- And I looked at what she was cutting!
I forgot to go back there.
- But you know, I am surprised you didn't miss
the biggest difference of all.
Roll it one more time and show,
see if you can see it this time.
Watch closely.
I'll point it out when it happens.
So how did you not see that?
How'd you not see Bigfoot?
- Are you talking about the female Sasquatch?
- How did you miss that?
- I don't know, but I don't know.
Maybe 'cause it is female.
It was anatomically correct.
(both laugh)
- Okay, so that was in it the first time.
- Okay, that makes me feel better, I'm not going crazy.
- We were trying to make you feel crazy.
- But I do believe in Sasquatch.
- Listen, so far I am incredibly impressed.
You're doing an incredible job.
Almost perfect so far, way better than I would be doing
but now we're gonna see how good you are
at recognizing change in real life.
We have created what is called a tableau for you, this is a-
- A what? - Tableau.
A real life scene, tableau, it's a French word
and you will be seeing a real life scene
depicted in front of your very eyes behind that curtain.
- That's a big shower curtain.
Is there a big shower behind there?
- Drop the curtain!
(Link laughs)
- Okay, everybody's kicking me in the balls.
There goes the curtain.
- You see the theme though, right?
You're kind of the victim in all this.
- I'm being abused. - Yeah, yeah.
We thought that that would distract you a little bit.
You know, you'd be worrying about whether or not
his hand was in his underwear, like you did.
Anyway-
- I like how you put a name tag on me.
- Just in case, I mean it might not be you.
Okay so we're gonna roll that again.
- How many differences are we talking?
- You're looking for four differences, okay?
You're looking for four differences.
- Oh.
- And let's do it again.
- Still Alex, still my nuts.
I didn't see any differences, man.
- You didn't see any?
(both laugh)
- What are you doing?
You got a mirror ball earring.
- I had two and one fell off. (laughs)
- Okay, so that's only one difference?
Tell me that counts.
- That would've been, I would've been-
- Those are the differences from over here
or just you doing something stupid?
- Ah yeah.
(Rhett laughs) (crew laughs)
- So, okay, so no...
Okay, one difference, two difference, three difference?
- I guess there were only three. (laughs)
- There was none over there?
- There was none.
You were really looking though, weren't you?
- I thought you would switch the order
of who kicked me in the balls first.
Keep that, that's a good look for you, George Michael.
- Yeah, I like it.
I had another one, but it's way under there now so
I'm sorry. - I'll get it.
- I was so excited, oh you gonna wear it?
- So change blindness is not... is something to embrace?
- And you know what?
Some people are less susceptible than others.
I think you're less susceptible.
You should feel good about yourself.
You didn't notice the Bigfoot.
- Who's in that Bigfoot?
- A female.
(crew laughs)
It's Mike.
Thanks for liking, commenting and subscribing.
- You know what time it is.
- This is Rachel Davis here at the home
of George Washington in Washington, DC
and it's time to spend the wheel of mythicality.
- Remember episodes one and two
of Buddy System are available today.
Episode one is available for everybody.
Episode two available to YouTube Red subscribers.
We're also gonna be doing a live viewing party
of episode one of Buddy System tomorrow.
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- Right now check out this and then click through
to Good Mythical More where we're gonna play
a version of blind Pictionary called Scribble Head.
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(both beatbox and coo repeatedly)
Wow, is you okay?
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Ocean?
That's a sailboat.
That's a shark.
It's someone diving in the water.
Someone splash.
- Yeah! - Splash.
All right, you can get one more, come on.