3 ms·

It's certainly not proven, but there are many hints in that direction, and the hints keep piling up. Recent research [1] on how the classic anaesthetics work (

by retrac 4y ago

It's certainly not proven, but there are many hints in that direction, and the hints keep piling up. Recent research [1] on how the classic anaesthetics work (a great mystery!) suggests they operate by inhibiting the entanglement of pairs of electrons in small molecules which split into free radicals, the electrons then physically separated but still-entangled. It seems it is at least possible, that there is speed-of-light quantum communication within the brain. And that consciousness may hinge fundamentally on this. If this is true, we're pretty much back to square one in terms of understanding. [1] https://science.ucalgary.ca/news/state-consciousness-may-involve-quantum-effects-university-calgary-scientists-show https://science.ucalgary.ca/news/state-consciousness-may-inv...

tabtab 4y ago
We don't currently fully know how anesthetics work largely because we don't really know how the human brain works on a large scale. We'd have to solve that before seriously proposing quantum effects. In other words, it's too early to rule out classic physics and chemistry as the brain's primary mechanism. (Although solving how it works could first solving quantum mysteries, but Occam's razor is classic rules in my opinion.)
GuB-42 4y ago
Isn't it just chemistry? Chemistry is quantum physics at its core. It is just that quantum equations are so hard to solve for anything bigger than hydrogen that most of the times, chemists prefer to use empirical rules to do their job.
nl 4y ago
> that there is speed-of-light quantum communication within the brain What does this even mean?
- retrac 4y ago
  Einstein's spooky action at a distance, between neurons. This is speculative, maybe recklessly so, but one possible interpretation is that these are neurotransmitters. The halves of the entangled pair float off and they bind to different receptors, and do their usual neurotransmitter thing of affecting how the neuron fires. But they are entangled, so theoretically the quantum state of one half could affect the other half and alter the chemical properties of the molecule that contains the other electron. Neurotransmitters signalling through a quantum communication channel. This effect would propagate at light speed, although the subsequent chemical side of it would not.
  - nl 4y ago
    "Spooky action at a distance" propagates at faster than light speed. That's why Einstein thought it was spooky! But in the widespread interpretation[1] of quantum entanglement it turns out not to be a problem because (while entanglement effects are real) it's impossible to transmit information or action via it. Worth noting that this link doesn't talk about that at all. Instead it's about quantum chemistry effects. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation#Acceptance_among_physicists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation#Acce...

by retrac 4y ago

tabtab 4y ago

We don't currently fully know how anesthetics work largely because we don't really know how the human brain works on a large scale. We'd have to solve that before seriously proposing quantum effects. In other words, it's too early to rule out classic physics and chemistry as the brain's primary mechanism. (Although solving how it works could first solving quantum mysteries, but Occam's razor is classic rules in my opinion.)

GuB-42 4y ago

Isn't it just chemistry? Chemistry is quantum physics at its core. It is just that quantum equations are so hard to solve for anything bigger than hydrogen that most of the times, chemists prefer to use empirical rules to do their job.

nl 4y ago

> that there is speed-of-light quantum communication within the brain What does this even mean?

retrac 4y ago
Einstein's spooky action at a distance, between neurons. This is speculative, maybe recklessly so, but one possible interpretation is that these are neurotransmitters. The halves of the entangled pair float off and they bind to different receptors, and do their usual neurotransmitter thing of affecting how the neuron fires. But they are entangled, so theoretically the quantum state of one half could affect the other half and alter the chemical properties of the molecule that contains the other electron. Neurotransmitters signalling through a quantum communication channel. This effect would propagate at light speed, although the subsequent chemical side of it would not.
- nl 4y ago
  "Spooky action at a distance" propagates at faster than light speed. That's why Einstein thought it was spooky! But in the widespread interpretation[1] of quantum entanglement it turns out not to be a problem because (while entanglement effects are real) it's impossible to transmit information or action via it. Worth noting that this link doesn't talk about that at all. Instead it's about quantum chemistry effects. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation#Acceptance_among_physicists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation#Acce...