Escape Artists

Escape Pod => Science Fiction Discussion => Topic started by: Evolution13 on September 17, 2007, 12:25:28 AM

Title: Theory from Transcendence Express
Post by: Evolution13 on September 17, 2007, 12:25:28 AM
I'm posting this here as it doesn't exactly relate to Episode 122, just a bit from it that caught my attention.

The idea was brought up in the story that consciousness needed a quantum state in which to exist, and that there was a theory that  quantum interactions going on in human brain cells that allowed consciousness to take hold. I don't remember all the details but that was basically the gist, and I'm curious if the author made that up, or if there are actual, real theories about this? There was a ring of truth to that that I resonated with and that just makes me feel all sqooshy inside :)
Title: Re: Theory from Transcendence Express
Post by: SFEley on September 18, 2007, 08:02:21 AM
The idea was brought up in the story that consciousness needed a quantum state in which to exist, and that there was a theory that  quantum interactions going on in human brain cells that allowed consciousness to take hold. I don't remember all the details but that was basically the gist, and I'm curious if the author made that up, or if there are actual, real theories about this? There was a ring of truth to that that I resonated with and that just makes me feel all sqooshy inside :)

I don't know if it originated here, but the book most often cited with this theory is The Emperor's New Mind (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0192861980/escapepod-20) by Roger Penrose.  Sounds like you'd probably dig it.