Max T calculated that the brain doesn't act as a quantum computer because it isn't an environment in which qubits can be kept isolated from the environment long enough to support a quantum calculation. Of course he may be wrong - room temperature quantum computers may be possible, using effects we haven't imagined yet, and the brain may make use of there. But I wouldn't call that "foaming at the mouth" at people who "dare to speculate", I'd call it doing science to the best of his ability.
On 18 August 2014 07:42, spudboy100 via Everything List < [email protected]> wrote: > It used to be Tegmark (of all people) and other physicists, years ago, who > used to foam at the mouths when scientists outside physics would dare > speculate that the human brain might do quantum computations. In fact, the > hard asses may be correct, technically, in the sense that the brain is not > a quant computer, but as Clark points out, quantum field effects are > everywhere in nature, a piece of bird poop, the electrons flow, > disgustingly. Specifically, Teg went after Penrose and Hameroff, > particularly Hameroff, several years ago. I wonder now with his MUH book is > out last Jan, if he had changed his mind? Anyway, the field effects are > everywhere and yes, Virginia, they are quantum. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: John Clark <[email protected]> > To: everything-list <[email protected]> > Sent: Sun, Aug 17, 2014 12:31 pm > Subject: Re: Electron spin and consciousness > > On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 2:18 PM, meekerdb <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Maybe there is a quantum aspect to consciousness. >> >> http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/08/06/1404387111.full.pdf+html >> > > As near as science can tell there is a quantum aspect to EVERYTHING. The > paper says "We conclude that there may be a connection between spin, > electron currents in cells, and the functioning of the nervous system", > well... it would be very surprising indeed if a fundamental property like > the electron's spin, a property as important as its charge, was not > involved in the operation of nerves. IF the hard drive on your computer is > newer than about 2003 (and if it isn't it's time to get a new computer) > then it too makes use of the electron's spin and could not hold nearly as > much information as it does if it did not. I don't see how electron spin > has more to do with consciousness than electron charge. And general > anesthesia not only causes you to loose consciousness it also causes you to > loose intelligence which is yet another reason I think the two are > inextricably linked. > > John K Clark > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Everything List" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Everything List" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
