Quanta and Qualia

Abstract

I sketch a line of thought about consciousness and physics that gives some motivation for the hypothesis that conscious observers deviate -perhaps only very subtly and slightly -from quantum dynamics. Although it is hard to know just how much credence to give this line of thought, it does add motivation for a stronger and more comprehensive programme of quantum experiments involving quantum observers. Consciousness -the collection of perceptions, sensations, thoughts, emotions, thoughts about perceptions, andOn the view given so far, then, a complete understanding of the physics of S involves understanding T , deriving the predictions that T makes for S, and then adding, as an extra interesting detail, that S has a particular (maybe empty) form of consciousness C(S). This detail is generally time-dependent, our experiences tell us: as the physical state of S changes over time, the consciousness C(S) generally also changes. [50]

Mathematical Models of Consciousness

“…Primary examples in neuroscience are the recent versions of integrated information theory [ 7 , 8 , 9 ], which aim to determine the quality and quantity of a system’s conscious experience using a complex mathematical algorithm [ 10 , 11 ], or predictive processing theory [ 12 ], which can be interpreted as specifying the content of conscious experience of a system using an advanced minimization principle [ 13 ]. However, promising models have been proposed by other disciplines as well, including philosophy [ 14 ], physics [ 15 , 16 ], mathematics [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], or psychology [ 20 ], all based on various different metaphysical ideas about consciousness.…”

Robot Consciousness: Physics and Metaphysics Here and Abroad

“…Topics include but are not limited to the following: determinist, and reductionist rationales to studying robotic intelligence, without explicit mention of "consciousness" and researchers supporting neuroquantological non-reductionist and panpsychismvarietal assumptions, both with respect to human consciousness and by extension to robotic intelligence and whether it is capable of consciousness. However, respecting both the human brain [165] and machine 'brains', experiments in quantum computing are evidently considered important [157], [166] if not decisive [167] in providing proof of their particular foundational assumptions and in distinguishing human consciousness from current AI robotic computing. I return to this point below in a further discussion of SAGI's development.…”

General Relativity, Mental Causation, and Energy Conservation

“…Wigner took quantum mechanics to provide reason to infer mental influence on the physical world (Wigner 1962). Such claims are not merely from decades ago; there are recent proposals from Halvorson (2011) and Kent (2018). I set such claims aside, however, because I am interested in ways that modern physics might make such mental conservation harder rather than easier.…”