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How working memory could give rise to consciousness

45 points by bookofjoe

by mellosouls

1 subcomments

Should link to the original article:
https://theconversation.com/consciousness-how-working-memory...

by albertize

4 subcomments

In this article, the concept of working memory accounts for not consciousness but the accessibility, stability and reportability of certain contents. For example, when I am reading very carefully, I may not be concentrating on the ambient sounds, my bodily position, my peripheral vision, and the environment of the room. These contents may not have to be retained in working memory in any way as relevant information for the current activity. Nevertheless, it does not necessarily follow that these are unconscious in nature. They can be part of the background of consciousness. Hence, there is the danger that the author assumes "being available for cognitive manipulation or verbal report" to be synonymous with "being conscious." This is quite an assumption and not one arrived at from the working memory model.

by henry-p

0 subcomment

This does not recognize the Hard Problem of Consciousness. Even if we find a mechanistic way to explain what is needed for consciousness, it does not give any clue as to why it feels like something to be conscious.

by cloudie78

6 subcomments

We can’t define or measure consciousness - because we haven’t discovered how.
So, we can’t define or measure it, but we can create it?
How do you create that which is not definable or measurable?

by bookofjoe

0 subcomment

by qsera

0 subcomment

by lambdaone

0 subcomment

What makes this most interesting from my point of view is that this is a specific enough theory that it might be amenable to experimental investigation.

by goalieca

0 subcomment

by BoardsOfCanada

0 subcomment

by d00d0ff000

5 subcomments

It does not.
Consciousness is the echo chamber of the quantum domain, temporally propagating through cognitive technology. Memory and temporal propagation (awareness) give consciousness something to do, which makes it topically interesting and addressable.
The quantum domain has a tremendous information density which scales through entanglement (by the tens of thousands or even millions in our neurons) allowing the ultra high definition holographic experience we (many of us) are familiar with.
When quantum holographic memory is understood, consciousness will be better understood. The qubit is a dead end, this will be the indicator of scientific progress.