All articles tagged with #human consciousness
Dan Brown's new book, 'The Secret of Secrets,' explores the profound mystery of human consciousness, reflecting his personal journey from skepticism to belief in the survival of consciousness beyond death, inspired by scientific research and personal experiences, with his character Robert Langdon delving into these philosophical questions.
The article explores the scientific and philosophical questions surrounding AI consciousness, including ongoing research into human consciousness through experiments like the Dreamachine, the rapid development of AI systems like large language models, and the debate over whether AI could or already does possess consciousness, raising ethical and societal concerns.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital have mapped a brain network crucial to human consciousness, termed the "default ascending arousal network" (DAAN). Using high-resolution imaging, they identified 18 interconnected nodes that facilitate communication between the brainstem and higher brain regions, with the ventral tegmental area (VTA) emerging as a key hub. This discovery could enhance understanding and treatment of consciousness disorders, though further research is needed to confirm these findings.
A study published in 2016 suggests that human consciousness could be a side effect of the brain's tendency to maximize disorder, similar to the principle of entropy. The researchers propose that consciousness arises naturally as the brain moves towards a state of entropy, where there is a high number of possible configurations of interactions between brain networks. However, the study's small sample size and the need for replication in larger studies limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Nonetheless, the research provides a starting point for further investigation into the relationship between brain organization and consciousness.
A new study shows that there is a surge of neurophysiological activity in the dying human brain, including in regions associated with conscious processing. The observed brain activity pattern may account for subjective reports of near-death experiences. The study demonstrates that withdrawal of ventilatory life support triggers a transient surge of electrical activity throughout the brain. The researchers suggest that the pattern of brain activity they observed may account for subjective reports of vivid perceptions during near-death experiences.