Minimum Viable Cosmology - 5
Time to rethink the λCDM model
In our quest to understand the Minimum Viable Cosmos (see previous MVC), we are faced with the question: How do we perceive ‘reality? How does our brain construct our subjective reality from electrical impulses from our senses? Anil Seth explores the notion that our reality is essentially a form of a controlled hallucination. Our brain generates a subjective reality based on sensory inputs and internal models.
Seth's key concept is that our perception is not a direct reflection of external reality, but rather a constructed representation created by our brain. Our senses provide the raw sensory information, but it is our brain's interpretation and integration of these inputs that give rise to our conscious experiences. Our brain is in a black box and it constructs a model of reality from the sensory inputs, initially for our survival (it is survival machine) but ultimately to form a predictive model of the external world, ie what will happen next in our world.
This is best presented by Anil Seth himself — see the video below.
-[Recent Infrared images from JWST]
By viewing different images from the JWST we can formulate different models of the cosmos. Dramatic change in the appearance of the M51 galaxy is apparent by changing the infrared spectrum used. Light from newly formed stars is responsible for most of the ionised gas emission surrounding stellar cradles on the left. When the light is reprocessed dust grains and molecules illuminate the cold gas of the galaxy showing a dramatic filamentary structure on the right. Understanding stellar structure is vital to building accurate universal models of star formation.
Back to Anil Seth, there is nothing like repetition in coming to understand a new concept. Here is another video clip from a more recent presentation. He makes the point that instead of seeing is believing — believing is seeing.
In conclusion, Anil Seth's concept of controlled hallucinations offers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on perception and consciousness. By challenging the notion of a direct and objective reality, Seth's work encourages us to explore the intricate relationship between our brain, our senses, and our conscious experiences.
The next question is: How do we communicate our ideas and conscious experiences to another person? We come to the problems that Ludwig Wittgenstein pondered in his philosophy.