Erik Hoel, expert in consciousness studies, discusses 'The Consciousness Winter' with host Danny Crichton. They explore the subjective nature of consciousness, debates on consciousness' impact on culture, and various theories and thinkers on consciousness, including Integrated Information Theory.
The 'consciousness winter' refers to a period in the 1930s to 40s when consciousness research lost popularity but witnessed a revival in the 80s and 90s, impacting culture and art.
Integrated Information Theory (IIT) is a leading theory in understanding consciousness as it provides a formal mapping between brain states and subjective experiences.
Deep dives
The Consciousness Winter
The podcast discusses the concept of a 'consciousness winter,' which is described as a prolonged period during which consciousness research had little progress. This winter took place from around the 1930s to 40s, when behaviorism gained popularity and pushed consciousness out of scientific consideration. It wasn't until the 80s and 90s that consciousness started to be studied again. The podcast highlights the impact this winter had on culture, including a decline in interest in consciousness-related topics in literature and art. The discussion also emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of consciousness research, which involves fields like neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and the humanities.
The Challenge of Defining Consciousness
The podcast explores the challenge of defining consciousness and the difficulties in formulating a comprehensive theory. The episode mentions theories proposed by famous scientists like Francis Crick and Mark Solms, which seek to explain the neural correlates of consciousness. However, the guest argues that these theories often skirt around the difficult metaphysical questions related to the nature of subjective experience. The podcast also highlights the role of computational and mathematical approaches, such as Integrated Information Theory (IIT), in addressing the problem of consciousness. IIT is praised for providing a formal mapping between brain states and experiences, making it a leading theory in the field.
The Current State of Consciousness Research
The podcast discusses the lack of progress in developing a well-accepted scientific theory of consciousness. It mentions the controversy surrounding theories like Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and the challenges of falsifiability and testing in consciousness research. The episode also touches on the debate among scientists regarding the nature of consciousness and its relationship to intelligence. The existence of highly intelligent systems, like GPT-4, that lack consciousness raises questions about the relationship between intelligence and conscious experience. The podcast suggests that further interdisciplinary and mathematical exploration may be necessary to make significant progress in understanding consciousness.
The Road to a Theory of Consciousness
The podcast explores the difficulties in studying consciousness and the potential paths towards developing a comprehensive theory. It discusses the interdisciplinary nature of consciousness research, involving fields like neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and the humanities. The episode highlights the need for a breakthrough or paradigm shift in understanding consciousness and suggests that progress may not occur incrementally. The podcast also emphasizes the importance of incorporating mathematical formalisms in theories of consciousness and mentions the significance of mapping brain states to descriptions of experiences. While Integrated Information Theory (IIT) is considered a leading theory, the guest suggests that there is still much work to be done in developing a definitive understanding of consciousness.
In this episode of the "Securities" podcast, host Danny Crichton leads a discussion on consciousness with guests Erik Hoel, Josh Wolfe, and Samuel Arbesman. They dive into "The Consciousness Winter," comparing it to the AI winter in artificial intelligence. This concept highlights how consciousness studies were once sidelined but have since seen a revival. The conversation covers various theories, including Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and the importance of a mathematical approach to understanding consciousness.
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