Excerpt from the Toward a Science of Consciousness III (MIT Press), introduction to section VIII: The Timing of Conscious Experience, by Stuart R. Hameroff
[...] Libet concluded that somehow the brain appreciated sensory input after a significant delay but corrected the timing by referring the conscious signal backward in time! Libet's data and conclusions have been widely debated, with quite different interpretations. Some physicists take the backward time referral seriously, as supportive evidence for a quantum mechanism in consciousness. Others believe classical, nonquantum explanations suffice. The debate continues in the first two chapters in this section.
This set of articles has been bugging me since I read the book last fall. Had no idea they were online!
Although I just posted a comment about the wave behavior of particles being detectible on rather large molecules (diffraction grating effects with carbon-60 and carbon-70), I'm skeptical of quantum effects in consciousness.
In the field of signal processing systems, designing "non-causal" systems is routine. These are causal systems with a pipeline delay. In the world of processor design, it gets even more interesting, with anticipatory instruction scheduling allowing execution down both scenarios of a not-yet-tested conditional.
Pipeline delays, and corresponding compensation for these pipelines are likely to be just as routine in neural wetware.
"skeptical of quantum effects in consciousness"
no kidding! me too. But I must say I find the fact that a reputable conference is even entertaining the question rather disquieting.
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Excerpt from the Toward a Science of Consciousness III (MIT Press), introduction to section VIII: The Timing of Conscious Experience, by Stuart R. Hameroff This set of articles has been bugging me since I read the book last fall. Had no idea they were online!
- sally mckay 2-23-2004 12:55 pm
Although I just posted a comment about the wave behavior of particles being detectible on rather large molecules (diffraction grating effects with carbon-60 and carbon-70), I'm skeptical of quantum effects in consciousness.
In the field of signal processing systems, designing "non-causal" systems is routine. These are causal systems with a pipeline delay. In the world of processor design, it gets even more interesting, with anticipatory instruction scheduling allowing execution down both scenarios of a not-yet-tested conditional.
Pipeline delays, and corresponding compensation for these pipelines are likely to be just as routine in neural wetware.
- mark 2-24-2004 2:13 am
"skeptical of quantum effects in consciousness"
no kidding! me too. But I must say I find the fact that a reputable conference is even entertaining the question rather disquieting.
- sally mckay 2-24-2004 2:54 am