World's First Brain Prosthesis Revealed

New Scientist ^ | 12 March 03 | Duncan Graham-Rowe

[Hank Kerchief]

I like to think that consciousness is a primary component of the universe.

The Colin Tudge quote presents a dichomoty that is wrong on both counts. The brain may have some similarities, in its function to a computer, but that is totally irrelevant to the question of consciousness. Consciousness is certainly not, "merely a feeling," since it includes all conscious experience, including what we mistakenly call the, "senses," like seeing, tasting, and hearing, as well as all internal sense, and for human beings, all rational consciousness that we call thinking, and imagining, and choosing, all of which are done consciously.

If by, "universe," you mean, "existence," which must include all we are directly conscious of (the physical or material universe) as well as all we know which cannot itself material (our consciousness, for example, and whatever it is those qualities, by which physics describes matter, are actually qualities of), and by "component" you mean an aspect of existense that makes consciousness possible, I would agree. If, on the other hand, by universe, you mean merely the physical universe scientists believe began with the, "big bang," and by component, you actually mean some material thing which is part of the material (spatial/temporal) universe, I do not agree.

I suspect you won't care whether I agree or not, but, I am interested in your opinion.

Hank