I've started reading Permutation City and even though I basically philosophically agree with all of its claims about consciousness/personhood so far, it's still a bit spooky sometimes.
Prompted by this: What's the spookiest scientific experiment you know of?
My candidates: single-particle double slit, Michelson-Morely experiment failing to demonstrate luminiferous aether.
@starkatt My vote's for http://www.prisonexp.org/ if only because it shows in really uncomfortable detail just how quickly the idea of things like "society" breaks down under the flimsiest of narrative excuses.
On the other paw, it also demonstrates just how reprogrammable people are if they're willing to take control of their own narratives.
"You cowered before me; I _was_ frightful," says Jareth. I think this shows us just how important that idea really is, and how terrifying.
@literorrery I kind of take issue with the general characterization of that as an "experiment" given that the PI also took a lead role in the activities cited. But, yeah.
@starkatt Well, "psychological meat grinder" is kind of a muzzleful, you know?
@literorrery "stanford prison case study" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.