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Fascinating research suggesting how consciousness as an emergent phenomenon needs to cross an activation threshold to boot up.

by tjaerv 13y ago

cristianpascu 13y ago
IF consciousness is an emergent phenomenon. :)
- pohl 13y ago
  What's a real, possible alternative? If consciousness is not something that arises out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions, then is the alternative that consciousness is unrelated to the multiplicity of relatively simple interactions but by sheer coincidence vanishes when those interactions are disrupted?
  - mgkimsal 13y ago
    maybe just the ability for the consciousness to express itself in a way humans can understand vanishes. ??
    - pohl 13y ago
      I kind of like that idea. Sort of like how Tomb Raider's ability to express itself vanishes when you turn off the Playstation. Laura continues to proceed through the dungeon, but we just can't see her.
  - cristianpascu 13y ago
    First, I don't know which is the difference/connection between real and possible alternatives. By real you mean plausible? Secondly, consciousness goes away even though those many _relatively simple_ interactions are still there. So, I'd say, that we don't really know for sure that consciousness is not there when worms are eating our brains. Consciousness is a subjective phenomenon. That's what makes it impossible to study directly, without relying on reports. And that's what separates it from those _relatively simple_ interactions which we can model and study experimentally.
- tjaerv 13y ago
  This research certainly supports the view that it is.
  - cristianpascu 13y ago
    It does not. If I think of something sad, molecules flow through my body. If I eat icecream, I remember something sad. The problem of mental causation. Unsolved. There're other problems, just as deep. Physical causation in on one side of the deep. Phenomenal experiences are on the other side. Good read: Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness - http://consc.net/papers/facing.html http://consc.net/papers/facing.html

Fascinating research suggesting how consciousness as an emergent phenomenon needs to cross an activation threshold to boot up.

by tjaerv 13y ago

Fascinating research suggesting how consciousness as an emergent phenomenon needs to cross an activation threshold to boot up.

cristianpascu 13y ago

IF consciousness is an emergent phenomenon. :)

pohl 13y ago
What's a real, possible alternative? If consciousness is not something that arises out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions, then is the alternative that consciousness is unrelated to the multiplicity of relatively simple interactions but by sheer coincidence vanishes when those interactions are disrupted?
- mgkimsal 13y ago
  maybe just the ability for the consciousness to express itself in a way humans can understand vanishes. ??
  - pohl 13y ago
    I kind of like that idea. Sort of like how Tomb Raider's ability to express itself vanishes when you turn off the Playstation. Laura continues to proceed through the dungeon, but we just can't see her.
- cristianpascu 13y ago
  First, I don't know which is the difference/connection between real and possible alternatives. By real you mean plausible? Secondly, consciousness goes away even though those many _relatively simple_ interactions are still there. So, I'd say, that we don't really know for sure that consciousness is not there when worms are eating our brains. Consciousness is a subjective phenomenon. That's what makes it impossible to study directly, without relying on reports. And that's what separates it from those _relatively simple_ interactions which we can model and study experimentally.
tjaerv 13y ago
This research certainly supports the view that it is.
- cristianpascu 13y ago
  It does not. If I think of something sad, molecules flow through my body. If I eat icecream, I remember something sad. The problem of mental causation. Unsolved. There're other problems, just as deep. Physical causation in on one side of the deep. Phenomenal experiences are on the other side. Good read: Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness - http://consc.net/papers/facing.html http://consc.net/papers/facing.html