Skip to main content

Mary's Room: A philosophical thought experiment - Eleanor Nelsen

4,255,807 Views

7,563 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Imagine a neuroscientist who has only ever seen black and white things, but she is an expert in color vision and knows everything about its physics and biology. If, one day, she sees color, does she learn anything new? Is there anything about perceiving color that wasn’t captured in her knowledge? Eleanor Nelsen explains what this thought experiment can teach us about experience.

What is the philosophical term for ineffable properties of experiences?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Eleanor Nelsen
  • Director Maxime Dupuy
  • Animator Maxime Dupuy, Arnold Feder
  • Editor Maxime Dupuy
  • Designer Maxime Dupuy
  • Art Director Maxime Dupuy
  • Storyboard Artist Maxime Dupuy
  • Illustrator Maxime Dupuy
  • Character Designer Maxime Dupuy
  • Composer Martin Pinon
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

More from The Big Questions