Knowledge, sensory experience, and sensor technology

This chapter examines the complex relationship between human sensory experience, knowledge creation, and modern sensor technology. We explore how technological sensors extend human perceptual capabilities while simultaneously creating new challenges in data interpretation.

Unlike direct human perception, modern sensors produce vast quantities of precise measurements of the physical world. However, these measurements only become meaningful through complex interpretative processes that depend on various forms of expertise and contextual knowledge. We argue that understanding the cognitive dimensions of this interpretation process is crucial for developing more effective sensor technologies and human-machine interfaces.

The chapter challenges reductionist conceptions of human cognition that treat the mind as primarily analytical, arguing instead for a more holistic approach that recognizes the embodied, situated, and culturally embedded nature of human knowledge. By examining the parallels and differences between human sensory systems and technological sensors, we offer insights into how these two domains of knowledge can be better integrated.

This interdisciplinary analysis draws on cognitive science, philosophy of technology, and sensory studies to develop a fra