Mathematical Model Suggests That Human Consciousness Is Noncomputable 426
KentuckyFC (1144503) writes "One of the most profound advances in science in recent years is the way researchers from a variety of fields are beginning to formulate the problem of consciousness in mathematical terms, in particular using information theory. That's largely thanks to a relatively new theory that consciousness is a phenomenon which integrates information in the brain in a way that cannot be broken down. Now a group of researchers has taken this idea further using algorithmic theory to study whether this kind of integrated information is computable. They say that the process of integrating information is equivalent to compressing it. That allows memories to be retrieved but it also loses information in the process. But they point out that this cannot be how real memory works; otherwise, retrieving memories repeatedly would cause them to gradually decay. By assuming that the process of memory is non-lossy, they use algorithmic theory to show that the process of integrating information must noncomputable. In other words, your PC can never be conscious in the way you are. That's likely to be a controversial finding but the bigger picture is that the problem of consciousness is finally opening up to mathematical scrutiny for the first time."
Re:Memories do decay (Score:5, Funny)
I'm pretty sure you are remembering that wrong.
Re:Bad syllogism (Score:5, Funny)
The flaw is as followed: the summary is missing a crucial step, which would read as such: "6. Profits!".
Re:Bad syllogism (Score:5, Funny)
A reference is
I think you remembered your reference once too often. ;-)
Re:no Ghost_no "singularity"_only sci-fi (Score:5, Funny)
I hereby bestow upon you a Ph.D. in Pedantry.
Re:no Ghost_no "singularity"_only sci-fi (Score:2, Funny)
> Then you're in science fiction land...woo hoo! I like scifi as much as the next /.er but your imaginations of the possible existence of a civilization that can fully digitize continuous data is worthless to a **scientific discussion**
You're proof of a paradigm shift will come in 2024. Human consciousness is only one of the many different types.
The OP is not letting on to how much he knows about consciousness however they are right about extraterrestrial intelligences.
> To be science it must be able to be tested.
And you assume consciousness passes exactly what test again?
Scientists are still ignorant of the lower 3 types of consciousness; what makes you assume they have a clue on how to test for a higher level one???