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 < everything-list@googlegroups.com> 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 <johnkcl...@gmail.com> > To: everything-list <everything-list@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Sun, Aug 17, 2014 12:31 pm > Subject: Re: Electron spin and consciousness > > On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 2:18 PM, meekerdb <meeke...@verizon.net> 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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. > 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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. > 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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
