What If We See Different Colors of a Same Object? Can We Confirm If All Humans See the Same Color?

Introduction to Qualia

The sensation of experiencing something, be it a color or a taste or a smell, is known in philosophy as a qualia—pronounced KWAH-lee or KWAY-lay. The plural is qualia. This exploration of the nature of these subjective experiences will delve into a profound and timeless question: how do we know if everyone perceives the same colors?

The Philosophical Debate Around Qualia

The biggest question about qualia is whether it is possible to effectively communicate a qualia to another person—one who has never experienced that qualia. In other words, could you explain the sensation of seeing red in such a way that they would instinctively know what it is like to see red before they actually see it?

Scientists and philosophers have been debating this question for ages. Many people argue that it is impossible; there is no combination of words that can ever communicate qualia from one person to another. Others believe that it might be possible for such words to evolve but we are not there yet.

Understanding Color Vision

From a scientific standpoint, we know that everyone receives the same wavelengths of light when viewing an object. For example, if both you and I look at a red screen, the same wavelength of light enters our eyes. Furthermore, in humans with normal color vision, the same types of cells are excited by these wavelengths and the same types of electrical signals are sent to our brains.

However, this is where the story takes an interesting turn. After the light enters our eyes, there is an indescribable transition between electrical signals and conscious experience. In order to know if we experience the color red the same way, we would need to be able to communicate our qualia of seeing red. As we've just discussed, this doesn't appear to be possible.

The Unanswerable Question

This brings us to a frustratingly unanswerable question—one of the great mysteries of the universe. If we cannot communicate the subjective experience of colors, how can we ever truly confirm that everyone sees the same colors?

Conclusion

The debate around qualia and the question of whether everyone sees the same colors remains a subject of intense philosophical and scientific inquiry. Whether through advances in technology or a deeper understanding of the human mind, a definitive answer may yet emerge, or as is often the case with such profound questions, the mystery will likely remain.