[ExI] Qualia/Consciousness

[Stefano Vaj]

On Dec 23, 2007 11:46 AM, scerir <scerir at libero.it> wrote:
> Stefano Vaj:
> > And how comes that brains are unable to perform
> > quantum computations at all?
>
> For an interesting philosophical discussion
> (why evolution did not like the quantum option?)
> http://mattleifer.wordpress.com/2007/02/07/quantum-brains/
> In general, there is a growing evidence that
> 'decoherence' - whatever it means - forbids
> superposition of quantum states in biological
> tissues.
> http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2007/11/_jennifer_ouellette_meantions.php
> See also
> http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/31763
> 'Two is a crowd for quantum particles'.

Good links. In any event, biological brains are far from being very
efficient classical computer.

Evolution operates and has always operated under restrictions (e.g.,
the need that progressive changes never adversely affect fitness
throughout their deployment, the unity of the organism, etc.) that may
well prevent optimal designs, and even a few pretty obvious tricks,
from ever being adopted. Think of the wheel, or of logical NOR gates.

Stefano Vaj