Evolving the Mind: On the Nature of Matter and the Origin of ConsciousnessEvolving the Mind has two main themes: how ideas about the mind evolved in science; and how the mind itself evolved in nature. The mind came into physical science when it was realised, first, that it is the activity of a physical object, a brain, which makes a mind; and secondly, that our theories of nature are largely mental constructions, artificial extensions of an inner model of the world which we inherited from our distant ancestors. From both of these perspectives, consciousness is the great enigma. If consciousness evolved, however, it is in some sense a material thing whatever else may be said of it. Physics, chemistry, molecular biology, brain function and evolutionary biology - almost the whole of science - is involved, and there can be no expert in all these fields. So the style of the book is simple, almost conversational. The excitement is that we seem to be close to a scientific theory of consciousness. |
Contents
Material things | 1 |
Life | 53 |
Forms of intelligence | 91 |
Places in the brain | 125 |
Correlates of consciousness | 153 |
Dreaming aware | 193 |
Space time and substance | 211 |
Making theories | 233 |
Quantum theories of consciousness | 255 |
Conversation and coda | 275 |
299 | |
317 | |
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acid action potentials activity ADVO amygdala analogy areas arrows astrocytes atoms axon behaviour bosons brain stem cells CH₂ chapter charge chemical chemistry circuitry colour complex connections covalent bonds diencephalon discussed effect electricity electrons energy enzyme eukaryotic evolution evolved example experience feelings fibres figure folding force function genes happen hemispheres hippocampus hydrogen hydrogen bonds idea imagine ions kind KRIT less light limbic lobe mass mechanisms membrane mind models molecular biology motion motor natural selection neocortex nerve nervous system neurons neurotransmitter nucleus objects organisation Oxford pair particles perception perhaps photons physical principle protein molecules quantum theory receptor Scientific American sciousness seems sensations sense sensory signals sort space spinal cord Stapp striatum string structure substance synapse system-2 temporal lobe thalamus theory of consciousness things thought unconscious University Press visual cortex water molecules wave white matter wires