[ExI] Molecular Materialism

[Stuart LaForge]

Hi Brent,

Molecular Materialism is actually an empirically testable theory of  
qualia. We have empirically determined the colors that some different  
species can see.

https://askabiologist.asu.edu/colors-animals-see

Relevant excerpt:
" COMMON ANIMALS AND THE COLORS THEY CAN SEE

ANIMAL	THE COLORS THEY SEE	RELATIVE TO HUMANS
SPIDERS (jumping spiders)	ULTRAVIOLET AND GREEN	Different
INSECTS (bees)	ULTRAVIOLET, BLUE, YELLOW	Different
CRUSTACEANS (crayfish)	BLUE AND RED	Less
CEPHALOPODS (octopi and squids)	BLUE ONLY	Less
FISH	MOST SEE JUST TWO COLORS	Less
AMPHIBIANS (frogs)	MOST SEE SOME COLOR	Less
REPTILES (snakes*)	SOME COLOR AND INFRARED	Different
BIRDS	FIVE TO SEVEN COLORS	More
MAMMALS (cats)	TWO COLORS BUT WEAKLY	Less
MAMMALS (dogs)	TWO COLORS BUT WEAKLY	Less
MAMMALS (rabbit)	BLUE AND GREEN	Less
MAMMALS (rats)	ULTRAVIOLET, BLUE, GREEN	Different
MAMMALS (squirrels)	BLUES AND YELLOWS	Less
MAMMALS (primates-apes and chimps)	SAME AS HUMANS	Same
MAMMALS (African monkeys)	SAME AS HUMANS	Same
MAMMALS (South American monkeys)	CAN'T SEE RED WELL	Less"


We can use this knowledge to test the hypothesis that each distinct  
perceived colorness is an innate property of some molecule or another.  
For example, if one hypothesized that a given molecule such as  
glutamate had the red quale as a property, then glutamate should exist  
in a higher proportion in the visual cortices of the animals that can  
see red, e.g. crayfish, than the animals that cannot see red, e.g.  
squirrels.

For an experiment one could then subject crayfish and squirrels to the  
same bright red light or the same bright green light as a control and  
then remove their brains to a blender and then test for relative  
abundances of glutamate and other suspected "molecular quales" in the  
resultant brain smoothies called "cell lysate" by purists. If one  
molecule is in greater abundance in the crayfish brains exposed to red  
light than in the squirrel brains or the control brains exposed to  
green light, then you have a good candidate for the molecular quale of  
redness and a much stronger case for the Molecular Materialism camp.

Stuart LaForge