Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)
Prof. Mark Solms - The Hidden Spring
Sep 18, 2024
Mark Solms, a renowned neuroscientist and psychoanalyst, challenges traditional consciousness theories by highlighting the brainstem's role in generating subjective experience. He discusses how decorticated animals provide evidence for consciousness beyond the cortex and critiques the limitations of behaviorism in understanding mental states. The conversation also delves into affect-based theories potentially impacting AI development, the SEEKING system's significance in exploration, and the philosophical implications of consciousness, emphasizing the importance of emotional experiences in defining our cognitive realities.
01:26:45
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Quick takeaways
- Prof. Mark Solms emphasizes the importance of affective consciousness over visual processing in understanding how consciousness operates.
- Evidence from decorticated animals highlights the brainstem's essential role in consciousness, challenging the cortex-centric view.
Deep dives
The Intricacies of Vision and Affective Consciousness
Starting with the premise that consciousness might be better understood through affect rather than vision highlights the distinct natures of these processes. Visual information processing can occur unconsciously, suggesting that understanding sight does not inherently translate to understanding consciousness itself. This indicates that while one can know the mechanics of seeing, such knowledge does not encompass the subjective experience of visual awareness. Affective consciousness, by contrast, is always felt, presenting an immediate and necessary experiential aspect that visual processing lacks.
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