Posted on 01/03/2025 9:51:22 AM PST by BenLurkin
Consciousness defines what it means to be human, yet its mechanisms remain elusive. Scientists know that anesthetics can “turn off” consciousness, but how they achieve this is still unclear.
Two dominant theories attempt to explain consciousness: the Integrated Information Theory (IIT), which posits that consciousness arises from the integration of information, and the Global Workspace Theory (GWT), which suggests it emerges from the exchange of information across different parts of the brain.
In 1989, British mathematician and Nobel laureate Roger Penrose proposed an unconventional hypothesis linking consciousness to quantum entanglement. He argued that the human mind could solve problems that traditional computers cannot, hinting at underlying quantum processes.
For decades, his idea remained on the fringes of scientific inquiry—until evidence surfaced suggesting that microtubules in neurons might provide a stable environment for quantum entanglement.
Google’s Hartmut Neven has proposed an even more radical theory.
They suggest that consciousness may arise not from the collapse of a quantum superposition, as Penrose theorized, but at the moment of its formation. This opens the door to groundbreaking experiments that could potentially “extend” human consciousness by linking it to a quantum computer.
The researchers hypothesize that brain states interacting with a quantum computer would generate an extended quantum superposition, perceived as an enriched conscious experience.
(Excerpt) Read more at anomalien.com ...
My Wife and I and our dog become aware of our surroundings when we awaken. I don't believe that is what distinguishes us from other species.
I believe self-awareness of an entity's own existence is a better term. Some mammal experts claim chimps and dolphins are aware that they exist. I believe that to be debatable. I believe only humans have the ability to be aware of their own existence in time and space.
AI response :” Compassion, empathy, and emotion are overrated.”
Uh-oh!
So the quantum computer can converse in word salad. /sarc
I wonder how far the USB cord will reach.
Wireless. Via Starlink. Everywhere.
"Think about how stupid the average person is, and realize that half the people are stupider than that."- George Carlin
Hey...I resemble that remark!
Soooooooo. Fallout is about to get a lot more "interesting"? 😁😁
Piper can have her clothes back when she stops calling me “Blue.”
Hey, who doesn’t? :^)
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