tilthat: TIL a philosophy riddle from 1688 was recently solved. If a man born blind can feel the differences between shapes such as spheres and cubes, could he, if given the ability, distinguish those objects by sight alone? In 2003 five people had their sight restored though surgery, and, no they could not.
nentuaby: I love when apparently Deep questions turn out to have clear empirical answers.
If a man born without smell suddenly had his olfactory abilities fully restored, would he like the experience of his own farts? Would he be offended by the smell of bacon and pancakes? Would he be invigorated by the aroma of fresh brewed coffee?
No. No he wouldn't. Because he'd literally never experienced any of those things before and therefore would have no point of reference.