Our senses tell us that a table, for example, is a solid object; science tells us that the table is
mostly empty space. Thus two sources of knowledge generate conflicting results. Can we
reconcile such conflicts?


Think about when you have sat down in a chair. Your senses tell you that it is a solid object. Nonetheless science tells us that it is mostly empty space. This creates a feeling of cognitive dissonance. It is a feeling where you know something is true but instead you want to believe the other. It is similar with these two conflicts, you know science can be right but you choose to believe your senses. The fact that empty space is sitting (you) on empty space is difficult to believe. As humans one doesn’t like to think of one’s self as nothing, merely empty space, non-existing. People deny the truth and choose to create their own realty. It could be that we are only empty space but people will prefer to live in the world they know. These two conflicting ideas may not be possible to be brought together for it depends on an individual’s opinion.
Our senses allow us to perceive objects. We can use the five senses sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch; however, these are the traditional senses. Science cannot really define sense therefore there can be many other senses. For instance, the feeling you know something is going to happen or the feeling someone is watching you. These senses do not have an explanation for how they function. Our senses are not trust worthy. Our sight can play tricks on us. Our sight perceives objects in different ways based on how we look at an object. For example, optical illusions are images visually perceived. The way we see things can be based on how we categorize and the depth of how we perceive it. A peculiar shade can look different when put in contrast with other diverse shades. Take a look at the Kanizsa triangle, the objects are arranged in a way that it creates the illusion of a triangle. This shows that our brain uses the information our sight has perceived in order to make sense out of it. Therefore maybe the chair or other object doesn’t really exist it could just be an image that our mind is creating before us. Touch is another important sense when determining the reality of an object or it seems that way. We rely on all five senses to determine reality. Perception is used to make automatic images from the information gained from our senses. In our dreams we are able to perceive smell, taste hearing, touch, and sight just like in reality. What we experience in a dream is not very different than reality so who is to say that we really aren’t all in the same dream. Therefore, what we perceive from our senses as a solid may not actually be real.
Science has constantly found out many new discoveries throughout the years. It has tried to discover what the mechanics of the world are and has developed theories on how some aspects function. We now know that objects are made of matter. If you now use your sense of touch to determine the object is there you can know that it’s solid because your hand doesn’t go through it.
At the physic level this may be true, but it may not be accounted for at the quantum level. A table, or other solid object, is matter and they are made up of atoms. Matter has been commonly defined to be anything that has mass and takes up volume. This definition doesn’t quite fit with quantum physics and many revisions have been made to the definition. Matter consists of properties interacting with each other. It consists of atoms which are made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons. The view on what an atom was had been different based on the reason of the various individuals. An example from Embracing Mind states different statements describing the atom and asks which is right. Statements like; a nucleus made of protons and neutrons with electrons orbiting it like planets, a fuzzy cloudlike nucleus, and the smallest component of the universe’ material, unbreakable particles God created to be the universe’s building blocks. The book explained that none of the statements are right or wrong because they fit the cultural, religious, and philosophical background of their times. The Greeks, the early scientists along with many other all had their own opinion on what the atom was. Now an opinion of the atom is that it’s mostly empty space therefore objects are empty space and they don’t exist. Theories that have been developed about the atom can be correct according to the laws that have been discovered. Because those laws have not been disproven yet cannot be assured they might not be some day in the future. There is many information of our world regarding science and the opinions change constantly as the information acquired changes as well.
The idea that the object is perceived by our senses and the idea that science says its mostly empty space cannot be brought together. One of the two ideas can be accepted, but they can’t both be accepted. They are both different from each other and contradict one another. The feeling that something else could be the truth besides what is known is frightening and thus is chosen not to be believed by the majority. People will deny what may be frightening to keep themselves contempt. What seems to be the reality, the object being perceived by the senses, can result being a dream. The knowledge that atoms are mostly empty space is used to come to the conclusion that therefore it doesn’t exist. It could be that we are only empty space but people will prefer to live in the world they know. Others might accept the reasoning that was made. These two conflicting ideas may not be possible to be brought together for it depends on an individual’s opinion.