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Consciousness and Quantum Theory The brain is wider than the sky For put them side by side The one the other will contain With ease, and you beside. - Emily Dickinson Human kind cannot stand very much reality. - T.S. Eliot There is no quantum world, there is no deep reality. - Neils Bohr We dance round in a ring and suppose but the secret sits in the middle and knows - Robert Frost The site provides summaries and reviews of books, academic papers, articles and other material relevant to quantum theories of consciousness. It also compiles references useful to quantum consciousness studies. New reviews are added regularly, as material becomes available for discussion, and the quantum mind blog comments on current developments. The introductory section covers the main concepts behind quantum consciousness, and is intended mainly for those who are unfamiliar with the area. The summaries and reviews cover most of the main theories of quantum consciousness, including the Penrose/Hameroff Orch OR theory, Gustav Bernroider's work on ion channels, David Bohm's implicate order, Henry Stapp's work based on more traditional quantum theory and the various forms of quantum brain dynamics. One section deals with the evidence for quantum consciousness. An area of recent expansion for the site has been the coverage of the spate of papers relating to coherence in photosynthetic protein and similar structures, (Engel et al, 2007, Lee et al, 2007; Sarovar et al, 2009; Collini et al, 2009). The most recent and possibly the most important paper is Collini et al, 2010, which demonstrates long-lived quantum coherence in protein at room temperature, something which had previously been considered impossible. These studies are argued to go a good way to undermine the core decoherence argument against quantum consciousness. Other recent papers deal with the screening of microtubule surfaces by ions and ordered water, an area that is important to the Penrose/Hameroff theory. Recently added are papers by Georgiev, D. suggesting an alternative to the Hameroff model for supporting quantum coherence in microtubules. Further sections deal with related topics such as freewill (including discussion of the Libet experiments), the origin of life and quantum computing. The Mainstream section provides critiques of some of the principle mainstream neuroscience, psychology and philosophy ideas on consciouness, including those of Dennett, Churchland, Crick and Koch. The suggested reading list for quantum consciousness studies has been transferred to Introduction 3: Reading List The most recent additions to the site are listed below, and can be accessed either in the New category or in the permanent categories 1.) The World in Your Head - Steven Lehar - added March 1 2010 (under Neuroscience 4) - Argues against the concept of the brain as computer from the basis of computer problems with visual perception. 2.) Indeterminism in neurobiology - Weber, M. - added 22 February 2010 (under Mainstream 15) - Climbs the wrong mountain in associating chance events in biological systems with quantum consciousness. 3.) Consciousness: Creeping up on the Hard Problem - Jeffrey Gray - added 17 February 2010 (under Mainstream 15) - Criticism of functionalism from a mainstream point of view plus interesting thoughts on intentionality, representation, the unconscious brain and Penrsose/Hameroff 4.) QUANTUM COHERENCE IN PROTEIN AT ROOM TEMPERATURE Coherently wired light-harvesting in photosynthetic marine algae at ambient temperature - Elisabetta Collini, Cathy Wong, Krystyna Wilk, Paul Curmi, Paul Brumer & Gregory Scholes - added 8 February 2010 (under Protein&Coherence 2) - Collini has demonstrated quantum coherence in photosynthetic protein at room temperature, undermining a key argument against quantum consciousness. 5.) A model of ionic wave propogation along microtubules - Sataric, M. et al - added 5 February 2010 (under Danko Georgiev 2) - A further model for quantum information processing in microtubules. 6.) Coherence in stable microtubules - Danko Georgiev - added 3 February 2010 (under Danko Georgiev 2) - Relates microtubular computation to the electric field and elastic energy in the microtubular lattice 7.) Solving the binding problem: cellular adhesive molecules and their control of the cortical quantum entangled network - Danko Georgiev - added 27 January 2010 (under Danko Georgiev 2) - Proposal for extension of quantum coherence between neurons via the synaptic cleft. 8.) Neuroligins and neurexins - Thomas Sudhof - added 22 January 2010 (under Danko Georgiev 2) - Relates to ideas on quantum coherence between neurons Other recent reviews: 1.) Neurophysics of consciousness - John, E. - added 2 Feb 2010 (under General Articles 4) (2.) Consciousness not yet explained - Tallis, R. - added 23 Jan 2010 (under Philosophy 3) (3.) Molecular biology and biophysics of neuronal microtubules - Danko Georgiev et al - added 13 January 2010 (under Danko Georgiev (4.) Why physicalism entails panpsychism - Galen Strawson - added 10 January 2010 (under Other Quantum 5) (5.) Dissipationless waves for information transfer to neurobiology - Danko Georgiev - added 6 January 2010 (under Danko Georgiev 2) (6.) Consciousness - Revonsuo, A. - added 2 Jan 2010 (under Mainstream 14) (7.) On the dynamic timescale of mind brain interaction - Georgiev, D. - added 23 Dec 09 (under Danko Georgiev) (8.) Electric and magnetic fields inside neurons - Georgiev, D. - 21 Dec 09 (under Danko Georgiev) (9.) Analysis of quantum decoherence in the brain - Georgiev, D. - 15 Dec 09 (under Danko Georgiev) (10.) Mental causation after Libet - Battthyany, A. - 8 Dec 09 (under Freewill 4) (11.) Synaptic Self - Le Doux, J. - 4 Dec 09 (under Neuroscience 3) (12.) Examination of quantum coherence in a photosynthetic system at physiological temperatures - Ishizaki, A. & Fleming, G. - 27 Nov 09 (under Protein&coherence 2) 'Once we have bitten the quantum apple, our loss of innocence is permanent' - R. Shankar (1994) |
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