Self

This is Mary’s Room

Mary knows a lot about colors, but seeing one for the first time is totally new.

Have you ever wondered how we understand the world? or is knowing about something the same as actually experiencing it yourself? In other words, when you learn something from a book or in class, is that the same as seeing or doing it in real life? This really complicated question I was really thinking about, and I found that a plethora of scientists and philosophers discussed it long time ago.

There is no straight answer to the question, but I found that even if we know all the facts about something, experiencing it firsthand could be different. It’s like reading how to ride a bike versus actually getting on one and feeling the wind and experiencing the gravity force rolling the bike downhill. It’s like knowing everything about how ice cream is made but never tasting it — would you really understand what ice cream is like? I do not think anyone would!

Qualia

This brings me to the word “Qualia”. Qualia are our personal experiences — like how something tastes, feels, or makes us feel emotional. Qualia are unique and different because they’re about how we relate to the experience of things, not just the facts about them. I recently wrote an article (Read Here) on how we are different and how our differences make it hard, if impossible, to compare.

Mary’s Room Experiment

Imagine a scientist named Mary who’s never seen color because she lives in a black-and-white world. One day, an apple shows up in color on her screen! It’s the first time she’s seen a real color. Now, think about this: Mary knows a lot about colors, but seeing one for the first time is totally new.

She’s learning something different just by seeing the color of the apple. It’s like knowing a lot about something and then actually getting to experience it — two very different things! So, that apple in her becomes different than the apple she sees on the screen with colors. It’s all about experience more than facts.

However, why does experience give more to knowledge, and why science cannot explain everything about our experiences and feelings? They say someday science can explain everything. For me, I doubt. I think there may be things science can’t fully get, like why we find something beautiful, what makes us who we really are, how we feel love, or why we love in the first place.

Philosophical Discussion

A philosopher named Frank Jackson came up with Mary’s story. He thinks if Mary learns something new by seeing the red apple’s color, then what we feel and think (like seeing colors) is more than just science stuff (brain reaction with light reflection). It’s a big idea because it goes against physicalism, which says everything about us can be explained by physical things. Jackson’s story asks us: Is there more to our thoughts and feelings than just the physical parts?

The Knowledge Argument

Mary’s story brings up the “knowledge argument.” It suggests that some things we know come only from our own experiences. It’s like there’s a special kind of knowing that you get only when you actually see or feel something yourself. So, when Mary sees the apple’s red color, she learns something that no book could ever teach her.

Beyond Color Vision

Think about this: Mary’s room is like a symbol for all the things we feel and experience. If we can’t explain everything about how we see colors using science, maybe there are other experiences that science can’t fully explain either. It’s like saying there are some parts of being human that are super tricky to explain with just science.

Implications for Artificial Intelligence

People use this story to question stuff about artificial intelligence. If we make a computer that’s just like a human brain, will it actually have thoughts and feelings? Here is the most complicated part of this story. Suppose science can replicate the human brain and give the computer the same abilities that the human brain has.

Will the computer be able to feel, love, and comprehend other human emotional experiences? Again, I doubt; I think there is one dimension in us that can not be touched or replicated; you may help me guess. This really makes me wonder! My brain really heats up when I ask: Can a computer really have a mind, or is it just copying what our brains do? This is a big question for people thinking about robots and computers that act like humans.

Conclusion: Limits of Knowledge

So, what do we take away from Mary’s story? It’s about whether just knowing stuff is the same as experiencing it. Are there things we can’t fully understand unless we experience them ourselves? It makes us wonder if there’s a gap between what we know and what we experience and if thinking hard and science can help us figure it out.

By the end, every time we learn, we not only get facts but build our own experiences. Our perspectives are important for understanding this complex world. No matter what we learn, our experiences are personal, and that’s why I wrote (This Article) to emphasize why we should learn to protect personal ideas, experiences, and values.

Author’s Note

Thank you for reading my story. Here is some information about my background. 🙏Consider sharing and participating in the conversation if this content speaks to you. For any queries, collaborations, or comments, reach out to me at [email protected]. Thank you for supporting my work!