Brains

One famous philosopher speculated how different the world must seem to a bat than to a person.  Another famous philosopher speculated how different the world must seem to a dog than to its owner.  Bat, dog, person; each is wired differently.  Each has a very different brain, thus to each their world is very different.  All that is seen, heard, smelled or touched is interpreted in the brain.  What I know of the world is determined by and limited by the wiring of my particular brain. 

Trying to understand the relationship of the world I know to the ‘real world’ out there, I consider this analogy:  the brain is to the universe as the record player is to the record. Now, my attempt to explain.

What is a record without a record player?  A record consists of waves and patterns etched into a continuous vinyl groove.  A record is potential not yet realized.  Without a record player there is no music. It is the record player that interprets the patterns etched in the vinyl, subsequently turning it into music.

Suppose aliens found a vinyl record.  Would they detect the waves and patterns?   Would they build a machine and try to solve the mystery and meaning of the patterns?  What if their machine started at the end of the record and played backwards, or played at the wrong speed?  Chances are an alien record player would play a different tune.  Perhaps aliens would build a machine that interpreted the patterns as pictures or smells and not sounds.  What if aliens had altogether different sense organs?  The record might then be played in ways we cannot even imagine.

If the universe is, like the record, a series of waves and patterns, then different brains will interpret waves and patterns differently.  A dog and I exist in the same universe, yet my world is filled with sights.  A dog’s world is filled with smells.  Same universe, but a very different tune.  The title of a onetime bestseller, “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus,” suggests that even for the sexes; same universe, different brains, different tune.

I’ll take the analogy one step further.  If there were no waves and patterns, but only random irregularities in the vinyl groove, then the record being played would just make noise and not music.  But the patterns and waves in a record are not random.  They are unique to the artist's music.  So too, the universe is not random, but has its interpretable patterns and waves.  Our brains as record players, our minds the listeners, we recognize there are patterns.  Every day we see, hear, smell and feel the music of our universe.  Is it possible that there is an 'artist' responsible for this patterned universe?

If my analogy seems hard to follow, not to worry.  I am aware that many of you are too young to have ever listened to a vinyl record.  I am pleased to see that, in this world, records and record players are making a comeback..