The bet was originally made 25 years ago in a pub in Germany. The two scientists were discussing how to find the neural correlates of consciousness. Both think it will take more than 25 years, but they're not worried about finding an explanation for why we have subjective experiences.
Twenty-five years ago in a German bar, neuroscientist Christof Koch bet philosopher David Chalmers that we’d understand the neural basis for consciousness by 2023. Last month, the winner of the bet received a case of wine. Ian Sample talks to Christof and David about why they made the bet, who won, and where we are now in our understanding of this most fundamental aspect of existence.. Help support our independent journalism at
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