#663 - Erik Hoel - A Guide To The Fundamental Mystery Of The Mind
Aug 5, 2023
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In this discussion, Erik Hoel, a research professor and theoretical neuroscientist at Tufts University, dives deep into the mysteries of consciousness and free will. He explores the latest scientific discoveries that could reshape our understanding of the self, while addressing the complexities of expressing inner thoughts. Hoel also critiques historical approaches to consciousness research, presents theories like the bicameral mind, and challenges conventional views on free will, urging a fresh perspective in light of chaotic influences on decision-making.
Consciousness is now being explored by neuroscience, highlighting the need for a paradigm shift and a satisfactory theory to understand its complexity.
Current explanations in neuroscience focus on mapping brain activity, but fail to address the fundamental nature of consciousness.
Understanding the connection between consciousness and free will is crucial for a deeper understanding of human agency and decision-making.
Deep dives
The search for a scientific theory of consciousness
The podcast discusses the current state of consciousness research and the pursuit of a scientific theory of consciousness. It highlights how consciousness was historically separated from science but is now being explored by neuroscience. The episode emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in neuroscience to truly understand consciousness and overcome the limitations of current approaches. It also examines the challenges and lack of funding in consciousness research, but highlights the potential impact a satisfactory theory of consciousness could have on our understanding of ourselves and technological advancements.
The limitations of current explanations in neuroscience
The episode critiques the current explanations in neuroscience, focusing on the predominance of localization and behaviorist approaches. It highlights the need to move beyond just mapping brain activity and addressing the fundamental nature of consciousness. The episode explores how the complexity of the brain and the lack of understanding in significant areas hinder progress in neuroscience. It also touches on the difficulty of explaining and expressing subjective inner experiences, and how advancements in language and literature have improved our ability to articulate consciousness.
The relation between consciousness, AI, and free will
The episode delves into the significance of consciousness in AI development and the implications for free will. It examines the potential role of a theory of consciousness in revolutionizing AI and enhancing our understanding of the self. The episode argues against reductionist views that deny free will based on atomistic determinism. It introduces the concept of causal emergence as a way to counter such reductionist arguments. Finally, it emphasizes the need to address the question of free will and its connection to consciousness to achieve a deeper understanding of human agency and decision-making.
The Development of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Perspectives
Throughout history, humanity has developed two different perspectives on the world - the extrinsic and the intrinsic. The extrinsic perspective focuses on giving clear external explanations of phenomena, such as through science. On the other hand, the intrinsic perspective involves describing subjective qualities and conscious experiences. Over time, civilization has advanced in both perspectives, with science improving our understanding of the extrinsic world and literature becoming more skilled at capturing and describing intrinsic experiences. This development has gone through periods of regression, such as during the Dark Ages, but ultimately reveals the continual reconciliation between the two contrasting perspectives.
The Relationship Between Macro and Micro Scale Descriptions and Causation
Macro scale descriptions, which encompass higher-level entities, can have real irreducible causal power in the world, despite the reducibility of the system at the micro scale. This occurs due to error correction, where macro scales transform noisy micro interactions into reliable causal relationships. This finding challenges determinism and opens the door to the possibility of free will. While it does not prove the existence of free will, it highlights the importance of considering macro scale descriptions and their causal influence. However, a complete theory of consciousness is necessary to fully understand the nature of free will and its relationship with causation.
Erik Hoel is a research professor at Tufts University, theoretical neuroscientist, and an author known for his work on understanding consciousness and the complexity of the brain.
Consciousness and free will are two of the most puzzling aspects of human existence. The question now is whether emerging scientific discoveries and technological advancements can unravel what's going on under the hood of our experience.
Expect to learn what the newest cutting edge research on consciousness can teach us, the impact AI will have on our understanding of the Self, why it is so difficult to explain our inner thoughts out loud, whether science can prove that we have free will, how to overcome your deterministic fatalism and much more...
