Not so strange. The process of conscious observation creates
information. Reversible computations conserve information. Therefore
conscious processes must be irreversible. A corrollory of this is that
conscious observers will experience an arrow of time, including a
second law of thermodynamics.
Cheers
David Barrett-Lennard wrote:
>
> Assuming neurons aren't able to tap into QM stuff because of
> decoherence, it seems odd that consciousness is performed with an
> irreversible computation whilst the universe uses a reversible
> computation.
>
> - David
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russell Standish [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Thursday, 13 November 2003 9:59 AM
> To: David Barrett-Lennard
> Subject: Re: Reversible computing
>
> I think the answer to your question is yes (assuming I understand you
> correctly). Information and probability are closely linked (through
> algorithmic information theory - AIT for those acronym
> lists). Schroedinger's equation is known to conserve probability
> (basically |\psi(t)| is a constant - usually set to 1 - under
> evolution by Schroedinger's equation (|.| here means Hilbert spoace
> norm, not
> absolute value)). This conservation of probability turns out to be
> equivalent to unitarity of the Hamiltonian operator, which guess what,
> means energy is conserved.
>
> Unitary evolution is a reversible computation, which is why quantum
> computations are reversible.
>
> Cheers
>
> David Barrett-Lennard wrote:
> >
> > I have been wondering whether there is something significant in the
> fact
> > that our laws of physics are mostly time symmetric, and we have a law
> of
> > conservation of mass/energy. Does this suggest that our universe is
> > associated with a reversible (and information preserving) computation?
>
> >
> > - David
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> A/Prof Russell Standish Director
> High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967, 8308 3119
> (mobile)
> UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965, 0425 253119
> (")
> Australia [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Room 2075, Red Centre
> http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
> International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/Prof Russell Standish Director
High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967, 8308 3119 (mobile)
UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965, 0425 253119 (")
Australia [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Room 2075, Red Centre http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
