What is real? How do you define real? Where do you even begin asking such a ridiculous question?

To start, you we have to decide a few foundations that we can base reality on. What is the world? What is it to be conscious and human? How can we measure either of these things? These are good questions that we can use to form our basis of reality.

First, what is the world? As far as we can tell, the world is a sphere composed of dust, gas, metal, molten rock, liquids, and biological matter. It is suspended in an empty medium called space, an unending collection of planets, stars, and galaxies more commonly known as the Universe. The Universe is expanding faster and faster every day, and will do so for the rest of time. Humans have looked into the distant Universe with powerful telescopes and have seen some of the oldest objects in existence. There are some basic laws that govern the universe, such as gravity and the speed of light, quantum entanglement and thermodynamics. These laws cannot be altered, but in extreme circumstances can break down, such as in the heart of a black hole or the surface of a magnetar. These laws are not readily apparent unfortunately, which leaves us to figure out what is really going on. How do we do this?

Human beings have developed with a very complex brain since the beginning of our genus, some millions of years ago. The basics of our conscious mind and abilities begins with our affinity for pattern recognition, a trait that distinguishes us from most other species. We also have a complex emotional hierarchy that helps us govern our actions and thoughts. We have an imagination for things that do not exist, but an extensive memory for the past and present. We are social, using others for help to fulfill our ambitions and solve problems, but also individuals due to our isolated brains. Humans, in short, are hyper-intelligent beings with a strong emotional guide to give us direction. We work together and alone to solve both real and imaginary problems. We are connected, yet completely alone. How do we know this?

Our measuring devices for these things vary from the extremely precise to the laughably rudimentary. For space, our instruments are very complex and hard to make, only possible after centuries of research and experimentation. We can observe objects that are millions of times larger than our own sun, or billions of times smaller than a single hydrogen atom. We have gathered so much data about these things that no one person could ever learn it all. As for consciousness, our knowledge is not as complete or precise. Mostly, we use person-to-person tests to establish the structure of the mind. Critical analysis and abstract conception are cornerstones of our psychological testing, allowing us to measure the expanse and borders of the intelligence of different people and beings all over the world. This also allows us to determine the facts through contrast rather than direct observation, which limits the margin of correctness we can create.

So we have built a basic foundation of answers to fundamental questions about reality. Because of this, we should be able to tell what is real and what is not, right?

Here’s the rub.

Even though we can logically answer these questions with empirical data, it will not determine that we in fact KNOW what is real. This is why:

The light that exits a star sails through space before reaching Earth. it is then diffracted through the atmosphere, reflected off of anything it touches, and then it enters our eyes. The retina sends a message along the optic nerve in the form of a chemical and electrical impulse, where it is processed and interpreted by the brain; this is how we see. Throughout this process, we do not even take in the whole spectrum of light, but a tiny percentage of a much larger whole. What does this mean? It means that we do not even see a majority of the universe as it truly exists.

On top of this limitation in sight, there are other filters that our sensory information passes through. Our smell can be greatly affected by our hormones, along with our auditory and visual cortices. Our minds themselves can be easily manipulated by substances such as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Heroin, leaving us subject to erratic emotional upheaval and intense hallucinations.

Also, we must take into account the difference in perspectives that all conscious creatures exhibit. All people are different, this can be verified by the vast array of beliefs that humans hold, as well as the conflicting ideologies that we all take to heart. Not only are humans different, animals are as well. Due to biological and environmental factors, every psyche develops differently, associating different stimuli with internally created meanings that cannot be imported from another mind.

So what does this tell us? Practically, it means nothing. Realistically though, it means that there is no such thing as an assured reality. We cannot know what is truly real because it is unknowable to all of mankind. We cannot see or hear the universe because our extremely limited senses do not allow it, and even if we find a way to measure these unknowable things, as we have, there is no sure way to tell if they are actually real. The only reality we live and die by is the one we create in our own minds.

Fortunately, this affects us in no real way. We can continue on building and inventing without any worries about what is really going on.

We have a pretty good idea to say the least.