Quale Hunt

It was with pleasure that I recently encountered a new concept towards the end of Ian Stewart’s Vision of Infinity; The Great Mathematical Problems.  The pleasure was simply this: I’d experienced the concept; I was totally comfortable with its effect; but I was totally unfamiliar with the term.  And just by my describing this introduction as a “pleasure”, you, too, are probably in the same boat.  And so let me introduce to you; the concept of Qualia.

“Qualia” is the plural of “Quale”.  Much like a duck, you’ll recognize a quale when you encounter one.  How stupid of me to attempt an essay on this topic; a quale, is after all, defined in part as “ineffable”; it cannot be communicated, and can only be understood through experience.  It is clearly foolhardy to write about such things; and yet I bet you know exactly what I mean.

I could simply say “red”, “toothache”, or “mouthwatering steak” and you would have your very own personal reaction.  There’s no saying that your reaction is the same as mine, your mother’s, or in any way “correct.”  But we have an undeniable, personal reaction in response to each these prompts, and those are our specific qualia.  Having experienced the response, you know (your personal version of) the subject.

It was a pleasure to encounter this, because it was contained within a discussion of the realm of mathematics.  Is mathematics simply a human construct; or does it exist outside our thoughts, in and of itself?  After all, Stuff Happens!, by itself and in an instant, whether we are there to see it or not, and regardless of our ability to understand the mathematical explanations.  And I had mentioned my previous intrigue in the nearly ubiquitous, often sudden appearances of certain transcendental numbers like pi and e (and Euler’s Constant and…?)  These seem (to me) to simply have to be real.

But perhaps most importantly, how did I know to set the hook on certain of this weeks perch and crappies?  I repeatedly experienced some sensation that caused me to do so; and yet I’ve not been able to explain that feeling.  My quale was neither visual nor tactile, but I’ve often experienced that same trigger, frequently leading to inexplicable catches.  If you are a fisherman, you probably have, too.

Finally, who’d have thunk that this book would have inspired a possible future boat name; “Quale Hunt”.^^^   Sometimes you just feel it.  Ephin’ ineffable qualia.

^^^Although you know that I’d have some explaining to do.