I've always had a theory that there are certain things that the human mind is simply not able to have even a conception of what they are like; so far I have been able to think of three; I call them the ultimate unknowns of perception.

 

1) What it is like to be dead.

 

2) What you would "see" if you were born without eyes, optic nerves, etc.

 

3) Visualizing a true higher dimensional space. ie. more than 3 dimensions.

 

Can anyone think of any more "ultimate unknowns"?

If a tree falls in the woods with no one there, will the tree make a sound?

What would it like to be an animal other than a human?

 

What would it be like to be a human who never had any sensory input, ever?

If someone typed up a post, didn't hit "Submit", abandons the computer, meanwhile the branch of a falling tree eventually hits the Submit key, while no one's around.....Does it get posted?

I think humans are unable to know what the subatomic world is really like. It's called the uncertainty principle.

9) Infinity.

 

10) Omniscience.

 

11) sun's temperature

1. Nothing (imagine nothing)

2. Reality (what it means)

These don't seem to unknowable or unimaginable.

For exaple:

"1) What it is like to be dead?"

Try to imagine what you were doing on March 23rd 1673. or any other date before you were born. Being dead feel a bit like that. Most people have no problem with the concept of not having existed at some earlier time, but for some reason, the concept of not existing at a later time baffles people.

"While I am, death is not; while death is, I am not. Why should I fear something which cannot exist while I do."

 

"2) What you would "see" if you were born without eyes, optic nerves, etc."

You wouldn't 'see' anything, you would have no concept of colour, light etc.

Try to imagine what it would be like not to be able to see into the x-ray or infra red spectrum, which is easy to imagine, because you can't do it.

 

3) Visualizing a true higher dimensional space. ie. more than 3 dimensions.

have a look into hyperbolic geometry, this helped me to visualise four dimentional space time. It does require alot of deep thought though. Roger Penroses' book 'Road to reality' deals with this idea.

 

If a tree falls in the woods with no one there, will the tree make a sound?

Short answer 'No'. A sound is a subjective experience. when the tree falls it will make the air particles around it vibrate, in order for this to be described as a sound these vibrations would have to be heard by some one.

 

1. Nothing (imagine nothing)

With a bit of practice, this is possible. Buddhists do it a lot when they meditate. worth a try too, it's a very interesting experience.

 

What would it be like to be a human who never had any sensory input, ever?

ask Paris Hilton, nothing ever seems to get into that skull!

If someone typed up a post, didn't hit "Submit", abandons the computer, meanwhile the branch of a falling tree eventually hits the Submit key, while no one's around.....Does it get posted?

Answer 'no' it's really difficult to get internet access in a forest!

 

The subatomic world, infinity, being an animal etc have me stumped though

What is it like to be a different person besides myself?

14) Having two or more brains

14) Having two or more brains

 

Psst, we already do, sort of

For some people, having a brain.

If you had an exact double somewhere in the universe and you pointed at him/her, wouldn't the two of you have to point in different directions?

Psst, we already do, sort of

Not hemispheres, two whole brains (or more). aka zombie food.

 

15) Imagining a new sense.