On Monday, May 27, 2019 at 8:38:58 AM UTC-5, John Clark wrote: > > On Mon, May 27, 2019 at 3:57 AM Philip Thrift <[email protected] > <javascript:>> wrote: > > *> It is odd that the phenomenon of consciousness would be a "hard" >> problem, as if other "problems" of nature would be "easy". We don't know >> what dark matter and dark energy are.* >> > > The question "What is Dark Matter?" is the second most important question > in physics beaten only by "What is Dark Energy?". We don't know the answer > to either one but as least the question is clear so in that sense they are > easy. But nobody even knows what the "hard" question of consciousness is > much less have a answer, by that I mean nobody even knows the general form > an answer would take that would allow people like Bruno to say it has been > solved. > > For example, if I discovered a new stable particle that was so numerous > that its mass added up to 5 times the mass of all normal baryonic matter > in the universe then the Dark Matter question would be answered; and if it > can be proven that Einstein's Cosmological Constant exists and exerts a > negative pressure then the Dark Energy question will be answered. But what > would allow you to say the hard question of consciousness has been > answered? I have no idea because the question has not been stated clearly. > > John K Clark >
My main point is we don't know what *gravity* is either. Witness all the physicists today - some say it is "emergent" (not fundamental) and a dozen other options for *what gravity is*. We observe both the existence of consciousness (in ourselves) and phenomenal gravity (in everything, recording how things move) but there is still a hard problem of gravity. There is no accepted final theory of gravity. And no "problem" of science (including gravity) will ever be "solved". That idea is a form of theology. Science just comes up with theories that might be useful in some way. @philipthrift -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/be292b2d-2627-4b83-8106-dd467b6fef69%40googlegroups.com.
