Quantum Consciousness
Date and Time
Location
MacN 401
Details
Speaker
John Malcolm, PhD Candidate
Abstract
Consciousness remains close to an absolute mystery in science, philosophy, and religion. Can subjective experience ever be explained as a physical process? Many regard quantum mechanics (QM) as a necessary component to understanding consciousness. For one, processes in the brain are carried out on small scales where QM may be important. But a more compelling feature of QM is that it is non-deterministic, only able to provide probabilities for the result of observations. To many, this aspect must then be a key component in consciousness giving rise to free will. In this talk, I will go over a preliminary physical model for consciousness that involves using gravity as a precursor to QM wavefunction collapse, put forward by Roger Penrose.
Further Details
The talk is from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. Snacks will be provided at 12:00 pm. Make sure to follow the Graduate Seminar Series on Facebook.