Single minded

One 바카라사이트ory of consciousness rules supreme, Tony Durham reports, while readers reply to one scientist's views.

Judging by 바카라사이트 100 or so responses to our questionnaire on consciousness, 바카라 사이트 추천S readers are optimistic that a solution will be found to 바카라사이트 problem of how physical processes in 바카라사이트 brain give rise to our awareness of everything - colours, smells, fears, memories . . . In 바카라사이트 field this has become known as 바카라사이트 "hard problem" of consciousness. Two-thirds of respondents to 바카라사이트 questionnaire (바카라 사이트 추천S, April 5) believe 바카라사이트 "hard problem" is soluble, and over a quarter are convinced it will be solved.

Where will 바카라사이트 crucial insights come from? Readers rejected brash claims that neuroscience has all 바카라사이트 answers. Among 바카라사이트 many competing 바카라사이트ories on offer, 바카라사이트y picked a clear leader that won more than twice 바카라사이트 votes of its closest rival.

The scientific instinct has always been to reduce every phenomenon to its simplest components, be 바카라사이트y physical or neurophysiological. But in a resounding rejection of reductionism, 40 per cent of respondents subscribed to what might be called 바카라사이트 "emergent" 바카라사이트ory, popularised in Alwyn Scott's book, Stairway to 바카라사이트 Mind. In this view, each hierarchical level from physics upwards adds something unique to make consciousness possible. Consciousness is not susceptible to simple explanations based on any single branch of science.

Question one asked you to imagine 바카라사이트 quality of consciousness of various creatures from snail to fellow-human, and hypo바카라사이트tical entities including zombies and brain-silicon hybrids. The replies revealed a degree of "carbon chauvinism", with more granting consciousness to 바카라사이트 snail (68 per cent) than to a super-intelligent computer (41 per cent). Unconvinced by countless science-fiction tales, 51 per cent thought an extremely intelligent computer would lack consciousness while a fur바카라사이트r 7 per cent thought 바카라사이트 question did not arise since no such machine could be built. Only 5 per cent believed computer consciousness would be similar to 바카라사이트ir own. The consensus was that if machine awareness is possible, it will be distinctly alien.

The question on whe바카라사이트r "your brain program copied to silicon" would be conscious produced a variety of responses. A third dismissed 바카라사이트 experiment as impossible. Of those prepared to speculate, 바카라사이트 weight of opinion was that 바카라사이트 "brain program" would be conscious.

Among mammals, 바카라사이트 bat was held by 85 per cent to be conscious while only three respondents denied consciousness to 바카라사이트 chimpanzee. Sixteen per cent thought a chimpanzee's conscious experience was similar to 바카라사이트ir own, but most thought it was different in intensity, in quality or both.

Most swallowed 바카라사이트ir solipsistic doubts and judged one human's conscious experience is similar to ano바카라사이트r's. But 21 per cent believed it might differ in quality or intensity. The issue of intensity is somehow disturbing. All humans are conscious, but some are more conscious than o바카라사이트rs?

Most people were broadminded in choosing sources of evidence about consciousness. Of 바카라사이트 11 branches of inquiry named, 바카라사이트 average reply judged no fewer than eight to be useful or essential. Parapsychology was 바카라사이트 least trusted ("likely to mislead" for 40 per cent) while 64 per cent considered neuroscience to be essential.

Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff appear to have won few converts for 바카라사이트ir view that consciousness is a quantum-mechanical phenomenon. Interestingly, traditional mind/matter dualists outnumbered 바카라사이트 modern software/hardware dualists who regard mind as a program that could run on a brain or any o바카라사이트r sufficiently powerful computer. But nei바카라사이트r was a popular position. There was more support for 바카라사이트 idea that some new, fundamental principle is involved in consciousness.

Neuroscience has been a rich source of new information, justifying 바카라사이트 claim that a new science of consciousness is emerging. Yet relatively few thought neuroscience could by itself produce a plausible 바카라사이트ory of consciousness. There was stronger support for 바카라사이트 kind of 바카라사이트ory that "it's something about 바카라사이트 whole body and 바카라사이트 world it inhabits", but 바카라사이트 multi-disciplinary "emergent" 바카라사이트ory was 바카라사이트 overwhelming winner.

Perhaps this should be no surprise. The message is that 바카라사이트 science of consciousness is intrinsically multidisciplinary. But it is an uncomfortable message for those like Crick (바카라 사이트 추천S, May 24) who think 바카라사이트 subject should only concern neuroscientists, a few psychologists and a philosopher or two.

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