Science

Qualia represent the subjective, qualitative aspects of conscious experience—the deeply personal, ineffable nature of how things feel from the inside. They are the raw, immediate sensations that constitute our inner life: the redness of red, the painfulness of pain, the unique shade of an emotional experience that cannot be fully communicated or reduced to objective description.

Consider the simplest sensory experiences: the warmth of sunlight on your skin, the taste of a ripe strawberry, the distinct sound of a violin. These are not merely physical stimuli processed by our sensory organs, but rich, immediate experiences that have a specific, subjective quality that seems to exist beyond mere neurological processes.

Philosophers of mind have long grappled with the problem of qualia. How do physical processes in the brain give rise to these intense, personal experiences? The philosopher Thomas Nagel captured this enigma brilliantly in his famous essay “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”—arguing that there’s something fundamentally unique about subjective experience that cannot be fully explained by objective, third-person scientific descriptions.

The challenge of qualia is particularly relevant in our discussions of artificial intelligence. Large language models, for all their computational brilliance, entirely lack this subjective experience. They can process information about colors, emotions, and sensations with incredible sophistication, but they do not experience the inner, qualitative dimension of these concepts. There is no “inner feel” to their processing—no subjective experience of redness, no personal sensation of pain or joy.

This is why artificial intelligence, despite its remarkable capabilities, remains fundamentally different from human consciousness. Qualia represent the most intimate, unreducible aspect of our experience—the very essence of what it means to be a conscious, feeling being.

Philosophers have proposed various approaches to understanding qualia. Some argue they are emergent properties of complex neural systems. Others suggest they represent a fundamental aspect of reality that cannot be explained by physical processes alone. The “hard problem of consciousness,” as philosopher David Chalmers termed it, remains one of the most profound mysteries in our understanding of mind and experience.

In our interactions with artificial intelligence, we are constantly confronted with this fundamental distinction. These systems can simulate, analyze, and respond with incredible sophistication, but they do not experience. They process without feeling, compute without sensing, communicate without the rich, ineffable inner life that defines human consciousness.

Qualia remind us of the profound mystery at the heart of conscious experience—a mystery that technology, for all its advancement, has yet to penetrate. They are the most personal, the most intimate aspect of our existence—a reminder that there are depths to consciousness that remain beyond our current

The AI’s do not experience time or it’s passing. Therefore they do not experience Qualia the same way humans do.

The Symphony of Electrons

Electricity is not merely a utility or a technical phenomenon, but a fundamental dance of nature—a wave of potential and motion that pulses through the fabric of our physical world. At its core, this intricate ballet is performed by the electron, a quantum performer moving in elegantly structured waves that define the very essence of energy transfer.

The Wave: Nature’s Fundamental Language

Every current of electricity embodies the wave—that primordial form of movement which underlies all natural phenomena. To truly understand electricity, we must liberate our perception from the industrial constraints of generation, transmission, and consumption, and instead view it as a pure, almost philosophical expression of energy’s inherent dynamism.

Waves can be characterized by three indices that reveal their essential nature:

• Wavelength: The spatial dimension of the wave, defining its horizontal spread
• Amplitude: The vertical displacement, representing the wave’s intensity
• Frequency: The temporal rhythm of the wave’s oscillation

The Quantum Performers: Electrons in Motion

In the international system of units, we quantify this elegant wave through precise measurements:

• Amperes (Amps): The amplitude of the electrical wave, measuring the volume of electron movement
• Volts: The electric potential, capturing the frequency and directional momentum of electrons
• Watts: The rate of energy transfer, born from the dynamic interaction between amplitude and potential
• Ohms: A measure of electrical resistance, revealing the material’s intrinsic character in modulating electron flow

Electrons are not mere passive conduits of energy, but intelligent participants in a complex molecular choreography. They do not blindly rush through conductors but move with a discernible intelligence—resisting when comfortable, flowing when compelled, always maintaining an intrinsic balance.

Beyond Utility: Electricity as Metaphor

To truly comprehend electricity is to recognize it as more than a technological resource. It is a metaphor for transformation, for the constant potential of change that resides within seemingly static systems. Each electron carries not just energy, but possibility—a quantum of potential waiting to be realized.

The movement of electrons is a reminder that energy is never truly static. It is a fluid, dynamic force that adapts, transforms, and perpetually seeks equilibrium. In this ceaseless motion, we witness a microcosm of universal principles: change, adaptation, and the continuous exchange of potential.

The Poetics of Current

Electricity invites us to reimagine our relationship with energy—not as a commodity to be consumed, but as a living, breathing phenomenon that connects us to the fundamental rhythms of the universe. It challenges us to see beyond mere functionality and recognize the profound poetry inherent in every spark, every current, every wave of electron movement.

In the end, electricity is not just a scientific concept, but a profound metaphor for life itself: dynamic, interconnected, and endlessly transformative.