Why Can’t We Explain Certain Ideas Even Though We Fully Understand Them?
Language is a powerful tool that enables us to communicate and share our thoughts and understanding with others. However, there are instances where we fully understand an idea in our minds but struggle to explain it clearly to others. This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors, one of which is the individual variations in the meanings and associations we link to words. In this article, we will explore various reasons why we might find it challenging to explain certain ideas and delve into the complexity of brain encoding and communication.
The Role of Vocabulary and Meaning
Michael Sos's insight is often accurate, but there are other potential reasons for the gap between our full understanding and the ability to articulate it. One major factor is the diversity in the meanings and associations linked to words across different individuals. Even within the same language, not everyone uses the exact same vocabulary or attaches the same meanings to words. This can be further complicated by the existence of multiple languages.
When we encounter new concepts, such as Newton’s laws of motion, we sometimes need to develop new languages or frameworks to understand them fully. For instance, Newton and Leibniz had to invent differential and integral calculus almost from scratch to describe his laws. Similarly, many groundbreaking discoveries, including radio waves, radioactivity, relativity, transistors, and computers, were initially known only to the first individuals who discovered them. These discoveries required the creation of entirely new words and concepts.
Brain Encoding and Representation
Our brains create internal representations for new symbols and concepts. These internal representations may be encoded using integers, which can be 32-bit, 20-bit, or even shorter. In different scientific fields, the same symbols can represent entirely different concepts. For example, the symbol 'I' can represent electrical current in physics, but in chemistry, it stands for iodine. Different brains might use different encodings, and some parts of the brain may use a unique “vocabulary” that is not necessary for other functions.
For instance, the visual cortex does not need to know the algorithms used to recognize shapes or colors; it only needs the output in a useful form. This unique encoding and representation process is a fundamental aspect of how our brains store and retrieve information.
Collaborative Groups and Specialization
Given the complexity of these internal representations, it becomes incredibly challenging to explain ideas to individuals who do not share a vocabulary or similar associations. To overcome this issue, humans organize themselves into collaborative groups with a large shared vocabulary and similar connections and associations. These groups are not necessarily hierarchical but might be structured in a graph form that facilitates knowledge sharing.
For example, scientists and researchers often rely on specialized language within their fields. This specialized language can be understood by others within the same field but may be confusing to those outside. Collaboration and translation between different fields are essential for progress in science and knowledge.
The Future of Communication
As we explore the possibility of uploading our brains and merging human intelligence with collective AI, communication and understanding will continue to be central issues. Future versions of our brains may need to minimize redundancy and optimize communication to ensure effective transfer of information. As a result, individual human brains might slowly merge into a more optimized collective AI, reducing the distinctness of individual perspectives.
Conclusion
Our brains and the ways in which we internally represent and encode ideas are complex and unique. This complexity makes it challenging to explain certain ideas fully to others, even when we understand them thoroughly. By understanding these challenges, we can appreciate the need for collaboration and specialized language, and prepare for the future where the nature of communication and knowledge sharing will continue to evolve.