Architecture of Experience

In the paper's words

The universe is saturated with a chaotic ocean of energy that we call the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum stretches from the longest radio waves, which can be miles long, to the shortest gamma rays, which are smaller than an atom. Between these two extremes lies an infinite gradation of energy frequencies that carry detailed information about the state of the cosmos.

The abstract, verbatim, and its opening sentence is the claim. Every line below is quoted from the text.

Numbers it reports

1. This means that the atom is approximately 99.9999999% volume without mass.

   from 4.1 The Myth of Solidity

2. You might say there is a 50% chance they are in the kitchen and a 50% chance they are in the bedroom.

   from 4.5 The Map of Probability

How it is done

1. Science provides a method for distinguishing between real patterns and illusory ones.

   from 2.4 Pattern Recognition

2. Our experience of a steady, relentless flow is a local illusion caused by our slow, gravity-bound existence.

   from 3.2 The Elastic Clock

3. When we measure its position, it behaves like a particle (the square shadow).

   from 4.3 The Confusion of Duality

4. It tells us the odds of finding the particle in a certain state if we measure it .

   from 4.5 The Map of Probability

What would falsify it

1. Our visual reality is a mix of sensory input and mental prediction.

   from 2.1 Filling the Gaps

2. To compensate, the brain constantly predicts what will happen next.

   from 2.2 Predictive Modeling

3. When catching a ball, the brain does not track the ball in real-time; it models the physics of the ball and predicts its trajectory.

   from 2.2 Predictive Modeling

Where the claim stops

1. However, the human biological system is not designed to detect this information in its entirety.

   from 1.1 The Narrow Bandwidth

2. We often assume that if we cannot see something, it is not there, but this is a failure of our sensors, not an absence of reality.

   from 1.1 The Narrow Bandwidth

3. This limitation extends beyond just light and sound to every aspect of our physical experience.

   from 1.1 The Narrow Bandwidth

Where to read

1. Deconstructing the19 words · 1 min
2. CHAPTER 1: THE LIMITS3,550 words · 15 min
3. CHAPTER 2: THE CONSTRUCTING2,500 words · 11 min
4. CHAPTER 3: THE2,206 words · 10 min
5. CHAPTER 4: THE DISSOLUTION3,873 words · 17 min
6. CHAPTER 5: THE UNCERTAINTY2,931 words · 13 min
7. CHAPTER 6: THE3,188 words · 14 min
8. CHAPTER 7: THE CONSTRUCTED3,423 words · 15 min