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I have a far simpler question that I wish to understand -- why does a pin prick hurt ? I can understand that nerve endings respond to the stimulus. I understan
by srean 4y ago
I have a far simpler question that I wish to understand -- why does a pin prick hurt ?
I can understand that nerve endings respond to the stimulus. I understand that it can be transmitted across synapses by way of ionic exchanges to finds it way into the brain (or spinal cord) where it results in firing a bunch of neurons there as well. All in all a series of small scale chemical changes. But why does those result in a feeling of pain ?
- cwillu 4y agoNot an answer, but the search term to find discussion is “qualia” (i.e., “the qualia of pain, the qualia of blue”, etc)
- srean 4y agoExactly ! and we still do not have a working understanding of it.
- ethanbond 4y agoBecause creatures who didn’t experience that as aversive didn’t survive. We’re the descendants of those who subjectively suffered due to objective physical damage — all the other ones died.
- srean 4y agoAgreed. But it still makes me wonder about the internal mechanism that makes it work, or rather the last mile of that mechanism. Till we understand that we will not know what else can feel ?
- Kim_Bruning 4y agoJust beware of the Cartesian theater. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_theater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_theater