Can we measure consciousness?

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May 16, 2024

Tim Bayne, a Professor of Philosophy at Monash University specializing in consciousness, delves into the intriguing question of measuring consciousness. He discusses boundary cases like brain organoids and neonates, illustrating the complexities of assessing conscious experience. Bayne introduces various tests, including the command-following and sniff tests, aiming to create a universal measure for consciousness. Ethical implications of these assessments spark a profound conversation on what it means to be conscious across humans, animals, and even AI.

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INSIGHT

Defining Consciousness

Consciousness is defined as "what is it like to be you?"
This definition, while highlighting subjectivity, lacks scientific utility.

INSIGHT

Graded Consciousness

Consciousness may not be all-or-nothing.
It could exist in degrees or indeterminate states, similar to the concept of life and death.

INSIGHT

Consciousness in Brain Organoids

Brain organoids, grown from stem cells, resemble parts of brains.
The possibility of consciousness in future, more complex organoids raises ethical questions.

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Being You

A New Science of Consciousness

Anil Seth

In 'Being You: A New Science of Consciousness,' Anil Seth presents a radical new theory of consciousness, arguing that we are 'prediction machines' constantly inventing and correcting our perception of the world. The book delves into the biological mechanisms of the brain, exploring how billions of neurons create our conscious experience. Seth discusses the 'controlled hallucination' viewpoint, active inference, and the 'beast machine' theory, which views consciousness as a process of regulating the body's essential variables through interoceptive signals. The book is a synthesis of philosophy, science, literature, and personal experience, making complex science accessible and engaging[1][3][5].

Consciousness explained

Daniel Dennett

In *Consciousness Explained*, Daniel Dennett undertakes a full-scale exploration of human consciousness. He challenges the traditional, commonsense theory of consciousness and introduces the 'Multiple Drafts' model as an alternative to the 'Cartesian Theater' concept. Dennett draws on a wealth of information from neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence to transform current theories about conscious life in humans, animals, and even robots. The book is praised for its accessible and engaging style, making complex scientific and philosophical concepts highly digestible for both experts and general readers[2][4][5].

Into the gray zone

Dr. Adrian Owen

In this book, Adrian Owen recounts his medical discoveries and the ethical, philosophical, and personal implications of his work. He describes how he and his team used advanced brain scanning techniques to identify and communicate with patients who, despite being diagnosed as vegetative, were found to have intact minds. The book delves into the lives of these patients, the challenges they face, and the broader questions about consciousness, identity, and what defines a satisfying life. Owen also reflects on his personal experiences and the evolution of his approach from a purely scientific to a more holistic and caring attitude towards his patients.

Inventing Temperature

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Hasek Chang

Other Minds

The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness

Peter Godfrey-Smith

In this book, Peter Godfrey-Smith delves into the evolution of intelligence and consciousness, particularly in cephalopods such as octopuses and cuttlefish. He argues that these creatures represent an independent experiment in the evolution of large brains and complex behavior, distinct from the evolutionary paths of vertebrates. Godfrey-Smith draws on his own scuba-diving experiences and the latest scientific research to explore how these animals' unique neural structures, including decentralized brain-like systems in their arms, enable their remarkable intelligence and adaptability. The book also reflects on the broader implications for understanding human consciousness and the nature of subjective experience[1][2][5].

A cluster of brain cells in a dish, pulsing with electrical activity. A bee buzzing its way through a garden in bloom. A newborn baby staring up into his mother's eyes. What all these entities have in common is that we don't quite know what it’s like to be them—or, really, whether it's like anything at all. We don't really know, in other words, whether they’re conscious. But maybe we could know—if only we developed the right test.

My guest today is Dr. Tim Bayne. Tim is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He’s a philosopher of mind and cognitive science, with a particular interest in the nature of consciousness. Along with a large team of co-authors, Tim recently published an article titled 'Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond.' In it, they review the current landscape of consciousness tests—or “C-tests”, as they call them—and outline strategies for building more and better tests down the road.

Here, Tim and I discuss what consciousness is and why theories of it seem to be proliferating. We consider several of the boundary cases that are most hotly debated right now in the field—cases like brain organoids, neonates, and split-brain patients. We sketch a few of the most prominent current consciousness tests: the command following test, the sniff test, the unlimited associative learning test, and the test for AI consciousness. We talk about how we might be able to inch our way, slowly, toward something like a thermometer for consciousness: a universal test that tells us whether an entity is conscious, or to what degree, or even what kind of conscious it is. Along the way, Tim and I talk about zombies, chatbots, brains in vats, and islands of awareness. And we muse about how, in certain respects, consciousness is like temperature, or perhaps more like happiness or wealth or intelligence, and maybe even a bit like fire.

I think you'll enjoy this one, friends—it's a thought-provoking conversation on a foundational topic, and one that takes us far and wide. So without further ado, here's my interview with Dr. Tim Bayne. Enjoy!

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Notes and links

4:45 – The philosopher Dan Dennett, who passed away in April, was known for his writings on consciousness—among them his 1991 book, Consciousness Explained.

7:00 – The classic paper on the neural correlates of consciousness, by Francis Crick and Christof Koch.

9:00 – A recent review of theories of consciousness by Anil Seth and Dr. Bayne.

10:00 – David Chalmers’ classic paper on the “hard problem” of consciousness.

13:00 – Thomas Nagel’s classic paper on what it’s like to be a bat.

20:00 – A recent paper by James Croxford and Dr. Bayne arguing against consciousness in brain organoids.

23:00 – A recent paper by Dr. Bayne and colleagues about the emergence of consciousness in infants.

27:00 – A recent paper by Dr. Bayne and colleagues about consciousness in split-brain patients. An earlier paper by Dr. Bayne on the same topic.

30:00 – A paper by Dr. Bayne, Dr. Seth, and Marcello Massimini on the notion of “islands of awareness.”

35:00 – The classic paper using the “(covert) command following test” in a patient in a so-called vegetative state.

38:00 – A 2020 paper introducing the “sniff test.”

40:00 – A recent primer on the “unlimited associative learning” test.

43:00 – An essay (preview only), by the philosopher Susan Schneider, proposing the AI consciousness test.

50:00 – The history of the scientific understanding of temperature is detailed in Hasok Chang’s book, Inventing Temperature.

53:30 – Different markers of consciousness in infants are reviewed in Dr. Bayne and colleagues’ recent paper.

1:03:00 – The ‘New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness’ was announced in April. Read about it here.

Recommendations

Being You, Anil Seth

Into the Gray Zone, Adrian Owen

Other Minds, Peter Godfrey-Smith

Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, which is made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to UCLA. It is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from Assistant Producer Urte Laukaityte and with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd. Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala.

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