There is a rather nutty theory in Science and Philosophy known as the Brain in a Vat or the Brain in a Jar theory. In this thought experiment, we imagine a mad scientist creating a machine into which he can place a human brain. This machine is called a βbrain vatβ. The brain vat keeps the brain alive, and it also allows the scientist to create virtual stimuli and feed these into the brain. Hence, the brain kept inside can experience these stimuli in the same way in which a normal human sensory system does. Doing this, the scientist can create an entirely fictitious world that feels completely normal to the brain held captive. This sounds eminently creepy to me!
But the idea of the Brain in a Vat (or the Brain in a Jar) theory is that no brain could ever know whether it is affixed inside a skull, or kept inside a vat. Therefore theoretically, it could never know whether everything it experiences is real or simply an illusion. It tells us that we cannot confirm the existence of anything except for our own consciousness. This theory may sound familiar since it is the basic plot of the movie βThe Matrixβ (which also includes some elements of Platoβs βAllegory of the Caveβ theory).
This thought experiment was proposed by RenΓ© Descartes, a French philosopher, back in 1641. (You may find it interesting how his experiment initially used an evil demon instead of a vat – thatβs scary!) The vat was only proposed later by Gilbert Harlan, in 1973 to update the experiment.
This experiment puzzled philosophers ever since, it definitely puzzles me too. On that note, have a lovely week ahead- even if itβs all an illusion!
– SaaniaSparkle π§π»ββοΈ
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