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I for one fail to understand what is it so mysterious about consciences. Also, the article spends way more time lamenting the mystery than explaining what the s

I for one fail to understand what is it so mysterious about consciences. Also, the article spends way more time lamenting the mystery than explaining what the so-called "hard problem of consciousness" is. Yes, we can not build consciousness yet, so what. We have a very good reason to believe it is completely based on matter and physics because everything we have seen so far seems to be based on matter and physics. One way or another, our brain seems to be some kind of computing meat machine that runs some kind of program(s). In order to keep us alive, this program is trying to predict what will happen next. A lion appears to be running in our direction? I predict it will get closer and closer and then it will eat us. Next step: in order to better predict the future, model in also your own actions. I will not stand here if I know a lion is going to eat me, I will run to that nearest tree. So the brain predicts that we will end up climbing that tree. Then, model in your understanding of the future and better grab a rope before you start running to that tree. Throw in all kinds of imperfections, remnants of older systems, evolutionary pressures, instincts and emotions and voila, you appear to be conscious.

JoeAltmaier 8y ago
That describes behavior, but not the sense of self-awareness? If conscious means, reacting to the environment (opposite of unconscious) then that could make sense. But if it means self-aware it doesn't get any closer to explaining that.
- dandare 8y ago
  Maybe I don't understand the question. What else is "self-awareness" than a program calculating its own actions based on the knowledge of its own prediction ability? Can you disprove such program will be self-aware? Can you prove your self-awareness is something more?
  - JoeAltmaier 8y ago
    That's the whole conversation right there. I'm aware of my surroundings in an immediate sense with many states of being inside my head, immersed in my surroundings, caught up in the moment and many others across the spectrum. Unrelated to my cognitive function, logic or fitness for calculating action. I could create a device that says "I'm self-aware" but does it make it so? You can get your Echo to do that.
    - dandare 8y ago
      The sense of a moment or you being in your head is only an illusion. You think you see your surroundings outside of your fovea spot, you feel an orgasm in your abdomen, you hear music filling the room - nothing new for the brain. Ask your brain who is doing the thinking in your head and it tells you it is YOU, and you believe it because it is the only answer you ever got. Interestingly, the self-aware YOU is merely a thin layer of self-propelled lies on the surface of the animal brain. Once you get infected with toxoplasmosis you have a higher risk of automobile accidents or higher chance of promiscuous behavior. You think YOU made that decision? How sweet :) A simple device that says "I'm self-aware" is easy to fool. But if build a device that is so good at answering the self-awareness question that you can not distinguish it from a human, and by definition, you will no be able to prove that it is not really self-aware.
      - JoeAltmaier 8y ago
        All that seems to be couched in terms of somebody being fooled. Who is that somebody? Who is 'you'? I think that description is a contradiction in itself.

JoeAltmaier 8y ago

That describes behavior, but not the sense of self-awareness? If conscious means, reacting to the environment (opposite of unconscious) then that could make sense. But if it means self-aware it doesn't get any closer to explaining that.

dandare 8y ago
Maybe I don't understand the question. What else is "self-awareness" than a program calculating its own actions based on the knowledge of its own prediction ability? Can you disprove such program will be self-aware? Can you prove your self-awareness is something more?
- JoeAltmaier 8y ago
  That's the whole conversation right there. I'm aware of my surroundings in an immediate sense with many states of being inside my head, immersed in my surroundings, caught up in the moment and many others across the spectrum. Unrelated to my cognitive function, logic or fitness for calculating action. I could create a device that says "I'm self-aware" but does it make it so? You can get your Echo to do that.
  - dandare 8y ago
    The sense of a moment or you being in your head is only an illusion. You think you see your surroundings outside of your fovea spot, you feel an orgasm in your abdomen, you hear music filling the room - nothing new for the brain. Ask your brain who is doing the thinking in your head and it tells you it is YOU, and you believe it because it is the only answer you ever got. Interestingly, the self-aware YOU is merely a thin layer of self-propelled lies on the surface of the animal brain. Once you get infected with toxoplasmosis you have a higher risk of automobile accidents or higher chance of promiscuous behavior. You think YOU made that decision? How sweet :) A simple device that says "I'm self-aware" is easy to fool. But if build a device that is so good at answering the self-awareness question that you can not distinguish it from a human, and by definition, you will no be able to prove that it is not really self-aware.
    - JoeAltmaier 8y ago
      All that seems to be couched in terms of somebody being fooled. Who is that somebody? Who is 'you'? I think that description is a contradiction in itself.