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How did Shakespeare know so much about the mind? Started 2025 trying to read a sonnet/scene every day and I'm consistently amazed at how he anticipated so many findings from cognitive science on memory, learning and behaviour. Made some notes🧵⬇️

Great thread. I also think we find it really hard (collective not you) to really get people in the past were just as clever as us. I think of this when I look at images of cave paintings designed to move in torchlight.

Absolutely. In many ways we're getting dumber. In fact I think we've peaked and it's downhill from here.

Sadly agree. There's something very sublime about thinking how much existed *inside* a prehistoric etc persons head when the looked out on the world and then comparing it to how much we've outsourced and what's there instead.

The caves at Lascaux show us minds that were not just thinking about food and survival.

Have you seen Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams? I think you'd like it.