What is the hard problem of consciousness in simple language?

Imagine a robot that can perfectly mimic human behavior: it can talk, walk, solve problems, and even express emotions. But does it truly *feel* these things? Does it have subjective experiences, like the feeling of happiness or the smell of coffee?

This is the hard problem of consciousness: How do subjective experiences arise from physical processes in the brain?

Think about it:

* We can understand how the brain works, how neurons fire, and how information is processed.

* We can even create machines that mimic these processes.

* But we still don't understand how these physical processes give rise to the feeling of being aware, the feeling of "what it's like" to be a conscious being.

It's like looking at a painting and understanding the brushstrokes, colors, and composition, but still not understanding the artist's intention or the emotions they poured into it.

The hard problem of consciousness is a mystery that philosophers and scientists have been grappling with for centuries. It's a fundamental question about the nature of reality, and there are no easy answers.