Surfing Uncertainty Apr 2026

Traditional views suggest our brains wait for sensory input (sight, sound, touch) and then react. Clark suggests the opposite: our brains proactively project expectations onto the world and only process the "prediction errors"—the things we got wrong.

Learning to Surf: How to Navigate Life’s Emotional Tides Surfing Uncertainty

Life rarely offers a smooth, predictable path. Instead of fighting the waves of change, we can learn to "surf" the uncertainty that comes with big transitions. Traditional views suggest our brains wait for sensory

Just as a surfer must constantly adjust their balance to stay atop a moving, unpredictable wave, our brains are constantly balancing top-down predictions with bottom-up sensory data to keep us upright in a world of flux. Instead of fighting the waves of change, we

In this model, even moving your arm is a prediction. Your brain predicts the sensory state of your arm being in a new position, and your muscles move to "fulfill" that prediction.