# Scientific qualia

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-qualia/1019346>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 8, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-qualia/1019346 "2025-06-08T23:05:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2025, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-qualia/1019346/81 "2025-07-10T17:38:24Z")

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> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> Some at least pretty much _are;_ brain scans can to a limited extent already “see” what people are visualizing seeing or doing. If you imagine a tree, then your visual cortex activates in a pattern resembling a tree for example. Or if you imagine using a hammer, then your motor cortex activates in about the same pattern as it does when using a real hammer.

Brain scans require tons of software to interpret the signals. We have also evolved to be able to guess what other people are thinking, which has obvious benefits for a social species. Sometimes we’re wrong. Not telepathy, though.

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