How do we turn background noise into information? The entire universe, as we know it, can be reduced to stimuli and receptors. Without receptors, all stimuli are just sound waves, light waves, and scents wafting through the air. They are various forms of energy, vibrating, pulsating in the universe for no apparent reason. It is only because we have receptors that we can receive that energy and transform it into information. For thousands of years, the Hindus have tried to teach us that we never really experience our environment as it really is. We are always and only ever experiencing our five senses. The way a dog experiences a rose is dramatically different from how you experience it. Dogs are almost color blind so they can’t see the beautiful red color as you do. But their sense of smell is much more powerful than ours, so they get to enjoy the sweet fragrance in a way we never will.