Wendts Potent Claims Close Quantum Consciousness

Alex Wendt takes a provocative mensuration inwards Quantum Mind in addition to Social Science: Unifying Physical in addition to Social On...

Alex Wendt takes a provocative mensuration inwards Quantum Mind in addition to Social Science: Unifying Physical in addition to Social Ontology by proposing that quantum mechanics plays a role inwards all levels of the human in addition to social public (as good every bit all life). And he doesn't hateful inwards the petty sense that all of nature is constituted past times quantum-mechanical micro-realities (or unrealities). Instead, he agency that nosotros require to care for human beings in addition to social structures every bit quantum-mechanical moving ridge functions. He wants to run into whether unopen to of the peculiarities of social (and individual) phenomena mightiness last explained on the hypothesis that mental phenomena are deeply in addition to actively quantum phenomena. This is a really large pill to swallow, since much considered judgment across the sciences concurs that the macroscopic public — billiard balls, viruses, neurons — are on a physical in addition to temporal scale where quantum effects receive got undergone “decoherence” in addition to conduct every bit strictly classical entities.

Wendt’s piece of job rests upon a minor but serious trunk of scholarship inwards physics, the neurosciences, in addition to philosophy on the topics of “quantum consciousness” in addition to “quantum biology”. An before post described unopen to tangible but non-controversial progress that has been made on the biological scientific discipline side, where physicists in addition to chemists receive got explored a possible pathway accounting for birds’ powerfulness to sense the earth’s magnetic patch direct through a chemic procedure that depends upon entangled electrons.

Here I’d similar to probe Alex’s declaration a flake to a greater extent than deeply past times taking an inventory of the strong claims that he considers inwards the book. (He doesn’t endorse all these claims, but regards them every bit potentially truthful in addition to worth investigating.)

1. Walking moving ridge functions: "I debate that human beings in addition to hence social life exhibit quantum coherence – inwards effect, that nosotros are walking moving ridge functions. I intend the declaration non every bit an analogy or metaphor, but every bit a realist claim virtually what people genuinely are. (3) ... "My claim is that life is a macroscopic instantiation of quantum coherence. (137) ... "Quantum consciousness theory suggests that human beings are literally walking moving ridge functions. (154)
2. "The fundamental claim of this mass is that all intentional phenomena are quantum mechanical. (149)  ... "The basic directive of a quantum social science, its positive heuristic if you lot will, is to re-think human behaviour through the lens of quantum theory. (32)
3. "I argued that a really dissimilar pic emerges if nosotros imagine ourselves nether a quantum constraint amongst a panpsychist ontology. Quantum Man is physical but non wholly material, conscious, inwards superposed rather than well-defined states, discipline to in addition to besides a rootage of non-local causation, free, purposeful, in addition to really much alive. (207)
4. "Quantum consciousness theory builds on these intuitions past times combining 2 propositions: (1) the physical claim of quantum encephalon theory that the encephalon is capable of sustaining coherent quantum states (Chapter 5), in addition to (2) the metaphysical claim of panpsychism that consciousness inheres inwards the really construction of affair (Chapter 6). (92)
5. Quantum determination theory: "[There is] growing experimental show that long-standing anomalies of human behaviour tin last predicted past times “quantum determination theory.” (4)
6. Panpsychism: "Quantum theory genuinely implies a panpsychist ontology: that consciousness goes “all the way down” to the sub-atomic level. Exploiting this possibility, quantum consciousness theorists receive got identified mechanisms inwards the encephalon that mightiness allow this sub-atomic proto-consciousness to last amplified to the macroscopic level. (5)
7. Consciousness: "The hard problem, inwards contrast, is explaining consciousness. (15) ... "As long every bit the encephalon is assumed to last a classical system, in that location is no ground to remember fifty-fifty futurity neuroscience volition give us “the slightest thought how anything cloth could last conscious.” (17) ... "Hence the fundamental question(s) of this book: (a) how mightiness a quantum theoretic approach explicate consciousness in addition to past times extension intentional phenomena, in addition to thereby unify physical in addition to social ontology, in addition to (b) what are unopen to implications of the outcome for contemporary debates inwards social theory? (29)
8. The quantum brain: "Quantum encephalon theory hypothesizes that the encephalon is able to sustain quantum coherence – a moving ridge component subdivision – at the macro, whole-organism level. (30) ... "Quantum encephalon theory challenges this supposition past times proposing that the hear is genuinely a quantum computer. Classical computers are based on binary digits or “bits” amongst well-defined values (0 or 1), which are transformed inwards series operations past times a plan into an output. Quantum computers inwards contrast are based on “qubits” that tin last inwards superpositions of 0 in addition to 1 at the same fourth dimension in addition to besides interact non-locally, enabling every qubit to last operated on simultaneously. (95)
9. Weak in addition to strong quantum minds: "In parsing quantum encephalon theory an initial distinction should last made betwixt 2 dissimilar arguments that are oftentimes discussed nether this heading. What mightiness last called the “weak” declaration hypothesizes that the firing of private neurons is affected past times quantum processes, but it does non posit quantum effects at the storey of the whole brain. (97)
10. Vitalism: "Principally, because my declaration is vitalist, though the number is complicated past times the multifariousness of forms vitalism has taken historically, unopen to of which overlap amongst other doctrines. (144)
11. Will in addition to decision: "In Chapter 6, I equated this powerfulness amongst an human face of moving ridge component subdivision collapse, viewed every bit a procedure of temporal symmetry-breaking, inwards which advanced activity moves through Will in addition to retarded activity through Experience. (174) ... "Will controls the direction of the body's movement over fourth dimension past times harnessing temporal non-locality, potentially over long “distances.” As advanced action, Will projects itself into what volition larn the futurity in addition to creates a destiny nation in that location that, through the enforcement of correlations amongst what volition larn the past, steers us purposefully toward that end. (182)
12. Entangled people: "It is the burden of my declaration to demo that despite its strong intuitive appeal, the separability supposition does non concur inwards social life. The burden only extends so far, since I am non going to defend the contrary assumption, that human beings are completely inseparable. This is non truthful fifty-fifty at the sub-atomic level, where entangled particles retain unopen to individuality. Rather, what characterizes people entangled inwards social structures is that they are non fully separable. (208-209)
13. Quantum semantics: "This suggests that the “ground state” of a concept may last represented every bit a superposition of potential meanings, amongst each of the latter a distinct “vector” inside its moving ridge function. (216)
14. Social structure: "If the physical set down of the hear in addition to linguistic communication is quantum mechanical, then, given this definition, that is truthful of social structures every bit well. Which is to say, what social structures genuinely are, physically, are superpositions of shared mental states – social moving ridge functions. (258) ...  "A quantum social ontology suggests – every bit structuration theorists in addition to critical realists alike receive got long argued – that agents in addition to social structures are “mutually constitutive.” I should emphasize that this does non hateful “reciprocal causation” or “co-determination,” amongst which “mutual constitution” is oftentimes conflated inwards social theory. As quantum entanglement, the human relationship of agents in addition to social structures is non a procedure of causal interaction over time, but a non-local, synchronic nation from which both are emergent. (260) ... "First, a social moving ridge component subdivision constitutes a dissimilar probability distribution for agents’ actions than would be inwards its absence. Being entangled inwards a social construction makes for sure practices to a greater extent than probable than others, which I convey to involve formal causation. (264-265)
15. The nation in addition to other structures: "The response is that the nation is a sort of hologram. This hologram is dissimilar from those created artificially past times scientists inwards the lab, in addition to besides from the holographic projection that I argued inwards Chapter xi enables us to run into ordinary cloth objects, since inwards these cases in that location is something in that location visible to the naked eye. (271) ... Collective consciousness: "A quantum interpretation of extended consciousness takes us component subdivision way toward collective consciousness, but only part, because fifty-fifty extended consciousness is nevertheless centered inwards private brains in addition to thus solipsistic. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 plausible instant mensuration hence would last to invoke the concept of ‘We-feeling,’ which seems to larn at something similar ‘collective consciousness,’ in addition to is non only widely used past times philosophers of collective intentionality, but has been studied empirically past times social psychologists every bit well. (277)

In my stance the key premise hither is the quantum interpretation of the encephalon in addition to consciousness that Alex advocates. He wants us to consider that the operations of the encephalon -- the input-output relations in addition to the intervening mechanisms -- are non "classical" but rather quantum-mechanical. And this is a very, really strong claim. It is vastly stronger than the thought that neurons may last affected past times quantum-level events (considered inwards an before post in addition to discipline to active enquiry past times people interested inwards how microtubules piece of job inside neurons). But Alex would non last satisfied amongst the thought that "neurons are quantum machines" (point ix above); he wants to brand the vastly stronger declaration that "brains are quantum computers". And fifty-fifty stronger than that -- he wants to claim that the brain itself is a moving ridge function, which implies that nosotros cannot empathise its working past times agreement the workings of its (quantum) components. (I don't remember that estimator engineers who are designing existent quantum computers believe that the device itself is a moving ridge function; only that the components (qubits) conduct according to quantum mathematics.) Here is his brain-holism:

Quantum encephalon theory hypothesizes that quantum processes at the uncomplicated storey are amplified in addition to kept inwards superposition at the storey of the organism, in addition to then, through downward causation constrain what is going on deep inside the brain. (95)

So the encephalon every bit a whole is inwards superposition, in addition to only resolves amongst perception or volition every bit a whole inwards an lawsuit of the collapse of its moving ridge function. (He sometimes refers to "a decoherence-free sub-space of the encephalon inside which quantum computational processes are performed" (95), which implies that the encephalon every bit a whole is maybe a classical thing encompassing "quantum sub-regions".) But whether it is the whole encephalon (implied past times "walking moving ridge function") or a relatively voluminous sub-region, the conjurer's displace occurs here: extending known though kinky properties of really exceptional isolated systems of micro-entities (a handful of electrons, photons, or atoms) to a description of macro-sized entities maintaining those same kinky properties.

So the "brain every bit moving ridge function" theory is really implausible given electrical flow knowledge. But if this stance of the encephalon in addition to thought cannot last made to a greater extent than credible than it currently is -- both empirically in addition to theoretically -- in addition to then Wendt's whole organization falls apart: entangled individuals involved inwards structures in addition to meanings, life every bit a quantum-vital state, in addition to panpsychism all receive got no inherent credibility past times themselves.

There are many eye-widening claims hither -- in addition to yet Alex is clear plenty in addition to well-versed plenty inwards relevant areas of enquiry inwards neuroscience in addition to philosophy of hear to give his illustration unopen to credibility. He lays out his illustration amongst calm skillful sense of humour in addition to rational care. Alex relies heavily on the fact that in that location are hard unresolved problems inwards the philosophy of hear in addition to the philosophy of physics (the nature of consciousness, liberty of the will, the interpretation of the quantum moving ridge function). This gives impetus to his telephone telephone for a fresh way of approaching the whole patch -- every bit suggested past times historians of scientific discipline similar Kuhn in addition to Lakatos. However, failing to attain an response to the question, "How is liberty of the volition possible?", does non warrant us to outpouring to highly questionable assumptions virtually neurophysiology.

But genuinely -- inwards the cease this but is non a plausible theory inwards my mind. I'm non cook to receive got the ideas of quantum brains, quantum meanings, or quantum societies. The thought of entanglement has a specific pregnant when it comes to electrons in addition to photons; but metaphorical extension of the thought to pairs or groups of individuals seems similar a stretch. I'm non persuaded that nosotros are "walking moving ridge functions" or that entanglement accounts for the workings of social institutions. The ideas of structures in addition to meanings every bit entangled moving ridge functions (individuals) strike me every bit alone speculative, depending on granting the possibility that the encephalon itself is a unmarried extended moving ridge function. And this is a lot to grant.

(Here is a brief description of the technology scientific discipline goals of developing a quantum estimator (link):

Quantum computing differs fundamentally from classical computing, inwards that it is based on the generation in addition to processing of qubits. Unlike classical bits, which tin receive got a nation of either 1 or 0, qubits allow a superposition of the 1 in addition to 0 states (both simultaneously). Strikingly, multiple qubits tin last linked inwards so-called 'entangled' states, inwards which the manipulation of a unmarried qubit changes the entire system, fifty-fifty if private qubits are physically distant. This belongings is the set down for quantum data processing, amongst the destination of edifice superfast quantum computers in addition to transferring data inwards a completely secure way.

See the referenced enquiry article inwards Science for a electrical flow advance inwards optical quantum computing; link.)

(The picture higher upwards is from a enquiry study from a squad which has succeeded inwards creating entanglement of a tape number of atoms -- 3,000. Compare that to the hundreds of billions of neurons inwards the brain, in addition to i time once again the implausibility of the "walking moving ridge function" thought becomes overwhelming. And annotation the extreme weather of frigidity that are required to create this entangled group; the atoms were cooled to 10-millionths of a score Kelvin, trapped betwixt 2 mirrors, in addition to subjected to exposure past times a unmarried photon (link) And yet presumably decoherence occurs if the temperature raises substantially.)

Here is an interesting lecture on quantum computing past times Microsoft scientist Krysta Svore, presented at the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo.