^TagChristof Koch

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 25, 2022

Categorized
Panpsychism, Science

Tagged
Antonio Damasio, Avery Hurt, Christof Koch, Consciousness (evolution of consciousness), Cosmopsychism (and fine-tuning), David Chalmers on panpsychism, Egnor's Principle, Fine-tuning and panpsychism, Galen Strawson, Giulio Tononi, James Shapiro, Olivia Goldhill, Panpsychism in science, Philip Goff, Robert Wright, Sabine Hossenfelder on panpsychism}

Can Panpsychism Save Naturalism From Itself?

_{Panpsychism can be seen as an effort to save naturalism by acknowledging the reality of the mind while insisting that the mind is wholly natural} _{Denyse O'Leary

September 25, 2022

6

Panpsychism, Science}

This article is an excerpt of one that originally appeared in Salvo 61 (Summer 2022), under the title “Everything is Conscious? Panpsychism goes mainstream.” Panpsychism — the view that all of the universe participates in consciousness, which is most fully developed in humans — has been gaining popularity in science in recent years. Does that sound unbelievable? Is not science committed wholly to materialism and nothing but materialism? Will consciousness not soon be “explained” by an accidental glitch in brain wiring that natural selection retained? Science doesn’t seem nearly as committed to that view just now. A 2018 article at Quartz by Olivia Goldhill was titled “The idea that everything from spoons to stones is conscious is gaining academic credibility.” Read More ›

Anomalocaris, creature of the Cambrian period, isolated on black background

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
September 30, 2021

Categorized
Natural Intelligence, Science

Tagged
Anna Zeligowski, Cambrian Explosion, Cephalopods, Christof Koch, Convergent evolution, Cuttlefish intelligence, David Chalmers, Eva Jablonka, Minimal consciousness (Ginsberg et al.), MuZero, Octopus intelligence, Simona Ginsberg, Squid intelligence, Tibor Gánti, Unlimited associative learning (UAL)}

Did Minimal Consciousness Drive the Cambrian Explosion?

_{Eva Jablonka’s team makes the daring case, repurposing Hungarian chemist Tibor Gánti’s origin of life studies} _{News

September 30, 2021

7

Natural Intelligence, Science}

Eva Jablonka is “one of the world’s foremost experts in epigenetic inheritance and evolution” but she has also had a longstanding interest in consciousness studies. She was author, with Marion J. Lamb, of Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life (MIT Press 2006/rev. 2014). She and neurobiologist Simona Ginsburg, along with illustrator Anna Zeligowski, offer a new approach to the origin of consciousness in an essay at IAI.TV — one with an interesting departure from many approaches to consciousness: Taking their inspiration from Hungarian chemist Tibor Gánti (1933–2009), who posited a chemoton — the minimal life form or protocell — as the origin of life, they first attempt to define minimal consciousness, Read More ›

dachsund dog portrait studio looking up.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 13, 2021

Categorized
Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Religion

Tagged
Animal immortality, C. S. Lewis, Carol Apple, Christof Koch, Human exceptionalism, Panpsychism (vs. materialism), Problem of Pain (book), Purzel (dog)}

Do Any Dogs Go To Heaven? If So, Why?

_{Neuroscientist Christof Koch was troubled as a child by the Catholic tradition that dogs like his beloved Purzel did not go to heaven} _{News

June 13, 2021

5

Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Religion}

In recent articles, we’ve discussed well-known neuroscientist Christof Koch’s Integrated Information Theory (IIT) of consciousness which, as he acknowledges, takes a panpsychist (everything is conscious to some degree) approach to the mind. He has explained his reasoning at MIT Press Reader: Materialists must see human consciousness as an illusion — but then whose illusion is it? Panpsychism allows humans to have actual consciousness but, he says, “experience may not even be restricted to biological entities but might extend to non-evolved physical systems previously assumed to be mindless — a pleasing and parsimonious conclusion about the makeup of the universe.” His perspective is gaining popularity in science. One, perhaps unexpected, factor that he mentions as shaping his overall approach was youthful Read More ›

shout abstrat illusion background. 3D Illustration

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 20, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Angus Menuge, Christof Koch, Consciousness as unity, Featured, Gregory Chaitin, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), Objectual unity, Panpsychism, Paul Churchland, Physicalism, Robert J. Marks}

Panpsychism Is, in Angus Menuge’s View, a Desperate Move

_{But he thinks it is worth keeping an eye on as an understandable reaction to materialism} _{News

May 20, 2021

9

Philosophy of Mind}

In Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks’s second podcast with philosopher Angus Menuge, the big topic is the perennial “Hard Problem of consciousness and various proposed solutions. Last time, they talked about the surprisingly large philosophical problem created by a concept like “red.” This time, they talk about whether Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and panpsychism in general are a way out of the dead end of naturalism. That is, if our science hypothesis is that consciousness is just an illusion, then we don’t — and can’t — have a hypothesis. There must be a better solution than that: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-134-Angus-Menuge.mp3 This portion begins at 10:35 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: Okay. Let’s Read More ›

Illustration of spiral arrangement in nature. Golden Ratio concept

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 20, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Christof Koch, Emergence (philosophy), Galen Strawson, Giulio Tononi, Global Workspace Theory (GWT), Golden Ratio, Hive mind, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), J. Scott Turner, Mike Hogan, Panpsychism (vs. materialism), Phi Ф, Stanislas Dehaene}

Quick Facts on IIT (the Leading Theory of Consciousness)

_{IIT may be part of a trend in science in which emergence and panpsychist theories are slowly replacing materialist and physicalist ones} _{News

May 20, 2021

5

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Consciousness, as a concept, is so easy to experience and so hard to define. Or explain. The most popular current theory of consciousness is Integrated Information Theory (IIT), pioneered by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi and championed by Allen Institute neuroscientist Christof Koch. For the purpose of discussing IIT, science writer Mike Hogan works with this definition: Consciousness for purposes of this theory is defined as ‘self-awareness’ or the Central-Identity; the inner-voice that allows your brain to talk to itself, an awareness that ‘you’ exist, the rationalization of your own relevance to that existence, and an awareness of the cause and effect of your actions in regard to yourself and your environment. Mike Hogan, “The Best Available Story of Human Consciousness” at Read More ›

Looking through glasses to bleach nature landscape - tulips field. Color blindness. World perception during depression. Medical condition. Health and disease concept.

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
May 13, 2021

Tagged
Christof Koch, Consciousness, Frank Jackson, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Gregory Chaitin, Henry Stapp, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), John von Neumann, Knowledge Argument, Lynne Rudder Baker, Near-death experiences, Ned Block, Panpsychism, Paul Churchland, phenomenal consciousness, Philosophy of Mind, qualia, quantum consciousness, Roger Penrose, Stephen Hawking, Thomas Nagel}

Dr. Angus Menuge: Models of Consciousness (Part II)

_{Robert J. Marks

May 13, 2021

1}

What is it like to see a red rose? To smell a red rose? To feel pain? In this week’s podcast, Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Angus Menuge continue their discussion on philosophies of the mind, delving into competing definitions of consciousness. Show Notes 00:26 | Introducing Dr. Angus Menuge 01:01 | Phenomenal consciousness and qualia 07:25 | Experiencing Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
April 4, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Artificial intelligence (and IIT), Christof Koch, Consciousness (book Koch 2019), Consciousness (IIT theory), Experience (in IIT theory), Feeling of Life Itself (book), Giulio Tononi, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), MIT Reader, New Scientist, Panpsychism, Thomas Nagel}

Why Would a Neuroscientist Choose Panpsychism Over Materialism?

_{It seems to have come down to a choice between “nothing is conscious” and “everything is conscious”} _{News

April 4, 2021

7

Artificial Intelligence, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind}

A really significant change in brain science in recent years has been the gradual acceptance in mainstream science venues of sympathy for panpsychism — the position that everything is conscious to some degree. Leading neuroscientist Christof Koch, for example, explained last month in MIT Reader: But who else, besides myself, has experiences? Because you are so similar to me, I abduce that you do. The same logic applies to other people. Apart from the occasional solitary solipsist this is uncontroversial. But how widespread is consciousness in the cosmos at large? How far consciousness extends its dominion within the tree of life becomes more difficult to abduce as species become more alien to us. One line of argument takes the principles Read More ›

Omega, the letter of a Greek alphabet. Greek numerals, mathematical eight hundred number concept. Abstract, digital, wireframe, low poly mesh, Raster blue neon 3d illustration. Triangle, line dot

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
March 25, 2021

Tagged
Algorithmic Information Theory, Chaitin's Constant, Christof Koch, computable, Consciousness, Creativity, David Chalmers, Giulio Tononi, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Gregory Chaitin, Halting Probability Omega, halting problem, Jack Schwartz, knowability, Lovelace test, non-computable, Panpsychism, Paul Erdős, Roger Penrose, Selmer Bringsjord, Stephen Hawking, unknowability}

The Chaitin Interview IV: Knowability and Unknowability

_{Robert J. Marks

March 25, 2021

2}

What does it mean for something to be unknowable? Is creativity non-computable? Do all things have a level of consciousness? Jump into today’s podcast, where Robert J. Marks continues his discussion with Gregory Chaitin about mathematical theory and philosophy. Show Notes 00:23 | Introducing Gregory Chaitin 00:40 | What is unknowability? 06:07 | Does non-computable mean unknowable? 09:43 | A Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
March 7, 2021

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
After (book), brain, Bruce Greyson, Christof Koch, Markham Heid, mind, NDEs and drug use, Near-death experiences, Near-death experiences (prevalence), Suicide and NDEs}

Physician Explains Why He Takes Near-Death Experiences Seriously

_{Near-death experiences don’t fit easily into traditional science categories because they occur — often with life-changing effects — when the brain is damaged or unconscious} _{News

March 7, 2021

6

Medicine and Health, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Health and science writer Markham Heid recounts a story from psychiatrist Bruce Greyson’s book After (2021) that typifies the near-death experiences (NDEs) that have excited research interest: The truck driver’s story sounded far-fetched. The man claimed that in the middle of his quadruple bypass heart surgery — during which he was fully anesthetized and his eyes were taped shut — he had “come to” and found that he was looking down at his own body and the doctors preparing to operate on it. He described the scene in detail, and he recalled that his surgeon had waved his elbows in the air as if he were mimicking a bird flapping its wings. Later, when asked about his patient’s peculiar account, Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
October 30, 2020

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Christof Koch, Consciousness, Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), Tam Hunt}

Everyone Seems To Be Looking For the “Seat of Consciousness”

_{Does consciousness have a seat at the table? Wait a minute. Isn’t consciousness the TABLE?} _{News

October 30, 2020

4

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Prominent neuroscientist Christof Koch, whose theory of consciousness is linked to panpsychism, has a new paper at Nature: Human Behaviour. Ideally, many science notables would like to “naturalize” human consciousness—to make it the same sort of phenomenon as the wind in the trees in a universe where nothing has any intrinsic meaning that sets it apart from anything else or points to a higher order of things. That would, of course, make calculation easier. But is it true? Here’s the abstract: Electrical stimulation of the human cortex, undertaken for brain surgery, triggers percepts and feelings. A new study documents an ordering principle to these effects: the farther removed from sensory input or motor output structures, the less likely it is Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
July 16, 2020

Categorized
Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Science

Tagged
___longform, Bernardo Kastrup, Christof Koch, Consciousness, David Papineau, Electrons, Featured, Giulio Tononi, Johannes Kleiner, Michael Egnor, Sabine Hossenfelder, Tam Hunt}

At Nautilus: Electrons DO have a “rudimentary mind”

_{Panpsychists in science believe that nature is all there is but, they say, it includes consciousness as a fundamental fact of nature} _{News

July 16, 2020

7

Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Science}

A leading theory of consciousness, Integrated Information Theory (IIT) proposed by University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Giulio Tononi and championed by by another leading neuroscientist, Christof Koch, has clear panpsychist affiliations. It is favored by proponents of the idea that electrons are conscious. Whoa!, you say. How can electrons be conscious? Wouldn’t they at least need a brain to be conscious? Let’s hear an explanation from proponent Tam Hunt (right) at Nautilus: You might see the rise of panpsychism as part of a Copernican trend—the idea that we’re not special. The Earth is not the center of the universe. Humans are not a treasured creation, or even the pinnacle of evolution. So why should we think that creatures with brains, like Read More ›

Dream sequence in abstract tunnel to heaven or hell. possible out of body

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 28, 2020

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Christof Koch, Near-death experiences, Physicalism}

Newfound Respect in Science Literature for Near-Death Experiences

_{For example, when people claim that they could see colors not normally available to humans, there is at least a possible science basis for that.} _{News

June 28, 2020

3

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

One really interesting change in science literature on near death experiences in recent years has been growing respect, possibly due to more information about them. For example, when people claim that they could see colors not normally available to humans, there is at least a possible science basis for that. In a recent edition of Scientific American neuroscientist Christof Koch, chief scientist of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, founded by a Microsoft billionaire, doesn’t discount them. He would like to find a fully naturalist explanation but that is quite different from past efforts to explain them as mere hallucinations, which failed to take into account their life-changing effects. He has said about them, I accept the reality of these Read More ›

Bright light at the end of the dark spooky coridor. Concept of near death experience

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
May 28, 2020

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
___longform, Christof Koch, epilepsy, Featured, Hypoxia, Near-death experiences}

Neuroscience Can’t Dismiss Near Death Experiences

_{It’s sobering to note that neuroscience has utterly failed to explain how the brain and mind relate} _{Michael Egnor

May 28, 2020

8

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Despite claims, NDEs are radically different from any mental experience caused by brain impairment.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 3, 2020

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
___longform, Bernardo Kastrup, Christof Koch, Consciousness, Featured, Futurism (magazine), Giulio Tonioni, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), New Scientist, Panpsychism, Philip Goff, Scientific American}

Why Is Science Growing Comfortable with Panpsychism (“Everything Is Conscious”)?

_{At one time, the idea that “everything is conscious” was the stuff of jokes. Not any more, it seems} _{News

May 3, 2020

9

Philosophy of Mind}

A recent article at New Scientist treats panpsychism as a serious idea in science. That’s thanks to the growing popularity of neuroscientist Giulio Tonioni’s Integrated Information Theory (IIT), which offers the opportunity for mathematical modeling, along with the implication that inanimate matter and/or the universe may be conscious. If IIT continues to gain a sympathetic hearing, panpsychism could become, over time, a part of normal science.

human head powerful inspiration tree abstract thinking inside your mind watercolor painting illustration hand drawn

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
March 14, 2020

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Annaka Harris, Christof Koch, Hedda Hassell Mørch, Massimo Pigliucci, Philip Goff, Physics}

Meet the Serious Panpsychists

_{These are not the "Rocks have minds!" people. They are getting a hearing about the serious problems materialism faces with understanding consciousness} _{News

March 14, 2020

8

Philosophy of Mind}

No good theories of consciousness match up with current science beliefs. The panpsychists, who ask us to consider that perhaps consciousness pervades the universe, force the issue, as put by Philip Goff: “If a general theory of reality has no place for consciousness, then that theory cannot be true.”

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 7, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Christof Koch, Consciousness, Global Workspace Theory (GWT), Integrated Information Theory (IIT), Machine consciousness, Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF)}

Can Machines Be Given Consciousness?

_{A prominent researcher in consciousness studies offers reasons for doubt} _{News

January 7, 2020

4

Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind}

Two theories of human consciousness are about to be tested in a historic contest. Integrated Information Theory (IIT) of consciousness and rival Global Workspace Theory (GWT) have sharply different implications for consciousness in machines.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
November 13, 2019

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Case Against Reality (book), Christof Koch, Consciousness, Dan Falk, Donald Hoffman, Feeling of Life Itself (book), Joseph LeDoux, Michael Graziano, Rethinking Consciousness (book)}

Consciousness: Three New Books, Same Dilemma, Still Fascinating

_{Consciousness studies are getting markedly crazier, if we go by the traditional standards of science} _{News

November 13, 2019

6

Philosophy of Mind}

Rigorous naturalism, taken seriously, brought us to this place where illusion calls to illusion about things that can, by definition, have no meaning. There is no other place naturalism can bring us to.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
August 1, 2019

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
___longform, Christof Koch, David Chalmers, Featured, Giulio Tonioni, Gregory Matloff, John Archibald Wheeler, Panpsychism, Philip Goff, Roger Penrose}

Why Some Scientists Believe the Universe Is Conscious

_{They’re not mystics. But materialism is not giving good answers so they are looking around} _{News

August 1, 2019

8

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

These prominent thinkers are driven to panpsychism because materialism about the mind doesn’t really work. So if panpsychism ends up seeming absurd, dualism—there really is an immaterial world—is also worth considering.