Is Your Red The Same as My Red?
TLDRThe Vsauce video explores the concept of color perception, highlighting that color is an illusion created by our brains from the electromagnetic spectrum. It delves into the idea that our internal color experiences may differ, as evidenced by color blindness and the 'Explanatory Gap'. The video also touches on the philosophical notion of 'Qualia' and the challenge of sharing raw feelings, using the example of explaining color to someone blind. It further discusses the 'Theory of Mind', suggesting that our curiosity and ability to ask questions set humans apart, as seen in the 'Sally-Anne' test and apes' lack of inquisitiveness despite their cognitive abilities.
Takeaways
- 🌈 Color as an Illusion: The script starts by explaining that color, as we perceive it, is an illusion created in our minds rather than existing in the external world.
- 🧠 Brain's Role in Perception: Our brains convert a specific range of the electromagnetic spectrum into what we perceive as color, indicating that the experience of color is internal and subjective.
- 🤔 The Subjectivity of Experience: It's impossible to measure or observe another person's experience of color, leading to the question of whether 'red' looks the same to everyone.
- 👓 Color Blindness Example: The script uses color blindness to illustrate that not everyone perceives color in the same way, and these differences can be diagnosed and discussed.
- 👁️ Diverse Ways of Seeing: It's suggested that there could be undetectable differences in how people perceive color, which could affect aesthetic preferences without impacting test performance.
- 👽 The Alien Thought Experiment: The script introduces a hypothetical scenario involving an alien who can understand the biology of pain but can never actually feel it, highlighting the concept of 'Qualia'.
- 🔒 The Explanatory Gap: The term 'Explanatory Gap' is used to describe the inability to connect physical phenomena with raw feelings, such as explaining color to someone who has been blind their entire life.
- 🎨 Language and Perception: The script suggests that our language might be limiting our ability to share and understand subjective experiences like color and pain.
- 🦜 Apes and Language: Apes have been taught to use sign language to communicate with humans, but they have never asked a question, indicating a lack of 'Theory of Mind'.
- 👶 Developing Theory of Mind: The 'Sally-Anne' test is mentioned to illustrate how children develop an understanding that others have separate minds with different knowledge and information.
- 🤔 Staying Curious: The script concludes by encouraging viewers to stay human and curious, acknowledging the uniqueness of our individual perceptions and experiences.
Q & A
What is the main argument presented by Michael in the script about color perception?
-Michael argues that color is an illusion and does not exist in the outside world. Instead, it is created inside our heads when our brains convert a certain range of the electromagnetic spectrum into color.
How does Michael explain the concept of color being a subjective experience?
-He explains that color is a subjective experience by pointing out that we cannot measure or observe the experience of a color inside someone else's mind. Therefore, it is impossible to know if the 'red' I see is the same 'red' that you see.
What is color blindness mentioned as an example of in the script?
-Color blindness is mentioned as an example of how not everyone sees color in the same way. It is a condition that can be diagnosed and discussed because people with it fail to see things that most people can.
How does the script suggest that differences in color perception might exist without being detectable by tests?
-The script suggests that there could be ways of seeing that cause colors to look differently in different people's minds without altering their performances on any tests, implying that subjective experiences of color might not be measurable.
What is the term used to describe the individual experiences of color that cannot be shared or fully explained?
-The term used to describe these individual experiences is 'Qualia', which refers to the raw feelings or sensations that are ineffable and cannot be shared.
What is the 'Explanatory Gap' mentioned in the script?
-The 'Explanatory Gap' is the philosophical concept that refers to the inability to connect physical phenomena to raw feelings, such as the inability to explain and share our own internal qualia, especially when describing color to someone who has been blind their entire life.
Who is Tommy Edison and what does he discuss in his YouTube channel?
-Tommy Edison is a person who has never been able to see and has a YouTube channel where he describes what being blind is like. In one of his videos, he talks about colors and how the concept seems strange and foreign to him.
What is the philosophical stance of Daniel Dennett on the concept of qualia?
-Daniel Dennett argues that qualia may be private and ineffable not because they are necessarily impossible to share, but because of a failure of our own language to adequately describe them.
What is the 'Sally-Anne' test and what does it measure?
-The 'Sally-Anne' test is an experiment used to determine when a human child first develops a 'Theory of Mind', which is the understanding that other people have separate minds with different knowledge and access to information.
What does the script suggest about the cognitive abilities of apes and their 'Theory of Mind'?
-The script suggests that while apes are curious and can use sign language to communicate, they lack a 'Theory of Mind', meaning they do not recognize that other individuals have similar cognitive abilities and can be used as sources of information.
How does the script conclude about human perception and our understanding of it?
-The script concludes by emphasizing that we are all alone with our perceptions and cannot fully experience or know what another person's perception is like. However, our ability to ask questions and wonder about these concepts is a uniquely human trait.
Outlines
🎨 The Illusion of Color Perception
The script begins with a philosophical inquiry into the nature of color, suggesting that it is an illusion created within our minds rather than an objective reality. It explains that our brains interpret a specific range of the electromagnetic spectrum as color, but we cannot measure or directly observe the subjective experience of color in another person's mind. The discussion then moves to the idea that even though we use the same words to describe colors, there's no way to know if our individual perceptions match. The script also touches on color blindness and the possibility of undiscovered ways of seeing that could affect color perception differently among individuals. It ends with a thought on how our language might evolve to bridge the gap in understanding and sharing our internal experiences of color.
🤔 The Human Quest for Understanding: Qualia and Theory of Mind
This paragraph delves into the concept of qualia, the subjective experiences that cannot be shared or fully understood by others, using the example of an alien who could never truly feel pain despite understanding the biological processes behind it. The script then connects this to the challenge of explaining color to someone who has been blind their entire life, highlighting the limitations of language in conveying such experiences. It introduces the idea that our language might be the barrier to sharing qualia rather than the experiences themselves. The discussion also explores the 'Theory of Mind,' the understanding that others have separate minds with different knowledge and perspectives. The script contrasts human curiosity and our unique ability to ask questions with the behavior of signing apes, who despite their intelligence, do not inquire about human knowledge. The 'Sally-Anne' test is mentioned as evidence of the development of 'Theory of Mind' in children. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the uniqueness of human curiosity and the solitary nature of our individual perceptions and experiences.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Color Perception
💡Electromagnetic Spectrum
💡Qualia
💡Explanatory Gap
💡Color Blindness
💡Theory of Mind
💡Sally-Anne Test
💡Language
💡Alien Perception
💡Daniel Dennett
💡Stay Human, Stay Curious
Highlights
Color is an illusion and does not exist in the outside world like gravity or protons.
Our brains convert a certain range of the electromagnetic spectrum into color.
The experience of color is created inside our heads and cannot be directly measured or observed.
There's no way to know if two people perceive the same color, such as 'red', in the same way.
Color blindness is an example of how people can see color differently.
The possibility of different ways of seeing that could affect color perception without impacting test performance.
Individual preferences for colors and their combinations might be based on personal, internal color experiences.
The concept that we are fundamentally alone in our perceptions and that our internal experiences are unique.
The inability to feel another's pain illustrates the concept of 'Qualia' and the 'Explanatory Gap'.
Tommy Edison's YouTube channel provides a perspective on what it's like to be blind and the difficulty in understanding colors.
Philosophers like Daniel Dennett argue that qualia may be private due to language limitations, not inherent inaccessibility.
The possibility that an advanced language or communication method could enable the sharing of qualia.
The challenge of describing color to someone who has been blind their entire life.
Apes' use of sign language demonstrates their understanding and response to language at a level similar to a 2.5-year-old human child.
No ape has ever asked a question, suggesting a lack of 'Theory of Mind' about others' separate minds and knowledge.
The 'Sally-Anne' test is used to determine when a human child first develops a 'Theory of Mind'.
Young children's failure in the 'Sally-Anne' test shows they don't initially understand others' different mental representations.
The importance of asking questions and being curious to understand and share our internal experiences.
Transcripts
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