The fact that the information the NS receives about the outside world isn't exactly what we _know_ about the outside world is quite a surprise to me. It shows that there is more to "knowing" reality than having a functioning set of sensory mechanisms; there is something going on internally. The concept of our brain "making stuff up" is what especially baffles me. If there are so many things being fabricated by so many different brains, how is it that we are able to have such similar perceptions of reality? Perhaps relativity plays a key role here in that our perceptions seem similar only because our brains compare things similarly.

The brain's "creating function" may also be a biological basis for the discrepancy between individuals' observations, which might lead to sociological applications.

Pleased to be surprising you (is what education is about, no?). Yes, interesting social implications (a good argument for appreciation of diversity). Which is, also, some explanation for "similar perceptions of reality". Some of this, of course, has to do with similarities of different brains. But a lot of it is even more interesting, and results from exchanging ideas/pictures among people with different ones to see what might account for all the varied things seen (you know the story of the wise men and the elephant? none see the elephant very well but collectively they do a pretty good job). PG