From: Robin Wood <robinwood@genesys.co.uk>
To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: "Penrose vs Churchland"- is there not more than one valid explanation
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 09:02:27 +0100
That is right- I do not make a big deal of the differences because
they are not mutually exclusive things. I am not in the business of
taking positions, but simply explaining things as effectively as I can
based on what evidence is available. There appears to be an academic
meme on this list which is always taking positions and worshipping
idols such as Dawkins- he is not a god, and neither are any of these
other people- we need to exercise our own judgement in taking what
they say as one part of a bigger picture.
Can you explain why the quantum wave collapse in microtubules is
"opposed" to neuronal mass oscillations?
Kind regards
Dr Robin Wood
Genetic Systems Ltd
-----Original Message-----
From: Mario Vaneechoutte [SMTP:Mario.Vaneechoutte@rug.ac.be]
Sent: 12 June 1997 01:04
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Tyuranny of the replicators
Robin Wood wrote:
> Cognitive science is demonstrating how consciousness arises from
the
> interaction of specialised processors in global workspace (Baars-
even
> Dennett is glowing about this theory!). Our minds are an emergent
> phenomenon which produce brainwave patterns as a by-product of the
> complex electro-magnetic fields generated by the neural networks in
> our brains. Like all quantum phenomena, these fields exhibit the
> uncertainty principle, and produce "random" effects as well as
> coherent effects.
I think you present the convictions of two opposite camps in the
discussion on consciousness, as if they were one. Francis Crick,
Koch,
(and the Churchlands) explain consciousness as neuronal mass
oscillations at certain wavelengths. But this has nothing to do and
is
opposed to the quantum wave collapse (supposed to occur in neuronal
microtubuli) explanation of Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff.
-- Mario Vaneechoutte Laboratory Bacteriology & Virology Blok A, De Pintelaan 185 University Hospital Ghent Belgium 9000 Ghent Tel: +32 9 240 36 92 Fax: +32 9 240 36 59 E-mail: Mario.Vaneechoutte@rug.ac.be Editor J. Memetics: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit =============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
=============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit