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How will I know if my brain is in a jar on someones desk and this is a simulated reality?

(I would give credit to the teacher that asked me this, but Im not sure if it was his question or if he would want me to name him here)

thinkwithme 7 Oct 11
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12 comments

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You would likely have a sense of disembodiment. Even though the brain is "the organ of thought," it relies on bodily feedback to have a sense of where it is in space. You would need a pretty sophisticated vat to not only mimic the seven trillion nerves in your body but also their interaction with each other, your brain, and the physical world. Anyone capable of pulling that off could do away with a physical brain altogether and simulate the whole thing.

Interesting, especially that last thought.

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Also confront creationist ILLOGIC by asking them why their alleged gawd created a fossil record that is undeniably billions of years old which the bible claims was all invented 8000 years ago ???? Our memories of cave paintings 40 thousand years ago AGAIN INVENTED INTO OUR BRAINS for future debates 8000 thousand years ago ....so what I just typed could have been invented by a creationist prayer ANSWER from their bible gawd geebush geehobah ghostholes an hour ago and I have zero free will their gawd made me a programned Atheist robot straw man for Sunday School believers

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Easy, you marry the world's greatest Neurosurgeon, Doctor Michael Hfuhruhurr.

Last name sounds like I need a brain surgeon or a dictator attempting genocide. I would change my name if I was micheal

@thinkwithme the doc is famous with that last name.

@Mofo1953 Ok I looked it up. Maybe I will watch it again

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Your brain IS in a jar. It's called a skull. And what you remember as your entire life, and your current experience are made entirely inside that brain. You get assorted nerve impulses from your nervous system and that is all there is. So, where is the significant difference?

There are many invisible realities. We don't see the micro or the maco We see one perspective at a time. There are invisible colors. Who knows. We could be seahorses.

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You will not know.

It there is free beer, you know its not real.

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A medical student question somewhat answered in the Spock's Brain episode not the telepath episode from your photo

I guess I need to watch it

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It is what it is, and there's no way to tell unless you find a trick.
I've always had lucid dreams, hard to tell if I'm dreaming or not, but if I'm dreaming and try to read a book all I can see is symbols, nothing making sense, so I know I'm dreaming.
Which scared me no end driving all night through Kansas, their road signs are so badly maintained they're all but illegible, so I kept pulling over afraid I'd fallen asleep.

That's funny.

I've also tried to read in a dream and I don't think it worked out and I have heard of others having the same dream experience. Strange..why wouldnt we be able to dream words on a page? Maybe we just wanted to dream it was a dream..

Research Hypnagogic phase of sleep

@thinkwithme Dreams are highly compressed simulations that sort emotional experiences, typically social experiences, into our kernel of self. Although I have dreamed I was writing code and trying various lines until something worked then try it at the keyboard and save my project because the dream solution was correct, but in that instance it wasn't reading, just as writing code is never about reading.

@Willow_Wisp I like that kernel idea...Now I want to pop

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Yes one would never know most likely ,Reality can be mind boggling if it were to change suddenly That is a pic from the early Star Trek?

Captain Pike!

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You wont. And while we are about it, whose simulation of which reality?

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It would be a better simulation. And everybody would be naked.

Naked in Antarctica? Bloody hell, I would lose by brass balls there!

Not even wearing a jar? Idk how long that would last

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Does not make any difference, since you only get presented with one version of reality that is the one you have to go with. Things only make a difference, to your thinking and actions, when you are offered a choice.

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It might be. The alternative is that your brain is sitting in a "jar" made out of human flesh. Either way, your brain experiences the world through external sensory input and you can never be certain any of it is an accurate representation of reality. Sweet dreams.

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