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This theory is derivative of Giulio Tononi's Integrated Information Theory of consciousness (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_information_theory https
by ProjectArcturis 5y ago
This theory is derivative of Giulio Tononi's Integrated Information Theory of consciousness (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_information_theory https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_information_theor...). IIT is a more scientifically and mathematically rigorous hypothesis of how consciousness arises from individual cells. And I'm not saying IIT is right -- I don't think it makes any testable predictions, so in a sense, like string theory, it's "not even wrong."
But what's described here is worse and the author appears ignorant of prior work in the same vein.
- naasking 5y agoAlways worth linking to Aaronson's teardown of IIT: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=1799 https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=1799 That said, the authors are probably not ignorant of IIT. Even if they don't yet make testable predictions, I expect they're just building the conceptual scaffolding needed before they get rigourous. We'll just have to see if it amounts to anything.
- theamk 5y agoFun fact: at least in 2014, IIT was making a testable predictions (I don't know about now, I haven't been following it) Scott Aaronson (a famous quantum physicist) read the paper and noticed that the way theory is formulated, "evaluating a polynomial on a set of points turns out to be an excellent way to achieve “integrated information,”" So for example Reed-Solomon codes, as used in CD/DVD players, have very high Φ-value, and thus DVD players are conscious, according to IIT theory. :) https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=1799 https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=1799
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]