Quantum Theory is not Up to the Job

One of many interviews with Chiara Marletto in connection with her book on Constructor Theory (“The Science of Can and Can’t” which I started but didn’t finish yet – here again after I did finish it), this one by Sean Carroll, who I consider to be one of the more grounded theoretical physicists and science … Continue reading “Quantum Theory is not Up to the Job”

Information Theoretic Marletto

I’ve been following Deutsch and Marletto for over a decade, and had the pleasure of talking with Chiara Marletto over lunch at a How The Light Gets In event in Hay on Wye in 2016. This interview from a few months ago, Dec 2020, is excellent because she is simply allowed to talk and describe … Continue reading “Information Theoretic Marletto”

Informational Panpsychism – a Dual-Aspect Monism

In many discussions of the work of the modern panpsychists (eg Goff and more recently (Bollands) a universal-lifer who posits no distinction between the actions of living and conscious things), I have pleaded for a pan-proto-psychism / pan-proto-living world-view where the proto-stoff is information. One obvious reason is that information exists non-contentiously at all levels … Continue reading “Informational Panpsychism – a Dual-Aspect Monism”

Quantum Weirdness Ain’t So Weird

Had this Aeon piece by Philip Ball on my desktop for a day or two, and had it brought to my attention today by Robin. Firstly I’m already a believer that the wave-particle duality and collapse of the wave function driven by the observer are fudges, as is the idea that many superpositioned states represent … Continue reading “Quantum Weirdness Ain’t So Weird”

Integrated Information Theory

I’m exploring available theories of consciousness that tie themselves in open-minded ways to fundamental physics, that is they don’t automatically exclude themselves from physical explanation by overly reductionist reliance on objects already (accepted as being) defined by physics. Yesterday, I summarised what I heard from Robert Kuhn’s Physics of Consciousness / Closer to Truth resources. … Continue reading “Integrated Information Theory”

Information & Communication are Fundamental

That information and communication are fundamental properties and behaviours of the universe, human and cosmic, has kinda been part of my worldview since I started this blogging project, but it’s one of those “facts” that becomes ever more clearly defined. And I don’t believe it’s just the self-reinforcement of echo-chamber and confirmation-bias. If anything, it’s … Continue reading “Information & Communication are Fundamental”

Quantum in “Scare Quotes”

Good job this story has “Quantum Computing” in scare quotes because it’s nothing to do with quantum computing – computing using quantum information in qubits. It’s a computer that uses quantum effects, like every computer – in fact like every device, and indeed everything in the cosmos, you and me included. What it is using specifically … Continue reading “Quantum in “Scare Quotes””

Quantum Consciousness, Whitehead and Pirsig

Mark Germine posted a link on MoQ-Discuss to his paper “The Holographic Principle Theory of Mind” on the Dynamical Psychology philosophy journal site edited by Ben Goertzel. (I have Ben linked in my side-bar blogroll). Mark’s summary is The Holographic Principle holds the information in any region of space and time exists on the surface … Continue reading “Quantum Consciousness, Whitehead and Pirsig”