Memory, consciousness and the self aren’t what you think they are. Michael Levin joins Vasant Dhar in episode 91 of Brave New World to explain why the distinction between machines and organisms will soon fall apart. Useful resources 1. Michael Levin at Tufts, Wikipedia, Twitter, Google Scholar and The Levin Lab. 2. There’s Plenty of Room Right Here: Biological Systems as Evolved, Overloaded, Multi-scale Machines — Joshua Bondard and Michael Levin. 3. Self-Improvising Memory: A Perspective on Memories as Agential, Dynamically Reinterpreting Cognitive Glue — Michael Levin. 4. The Space Of Possible Minds — Michael Levin. 5. Endless forms most beautiful 2.0 — Wesley Clawson and Michael Levin. 6. My Octopus Teacher — Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. 7. Pippa Ehrlich on the Mysteries of the Sea — Episode 77 of Brave New World. 8. Turing Patterns. 9. Mark Solms’ theory of consciousness — SelfAwarePatterns. 10. Mark Solms on Consciousness. Check out Vasant Dhar’s newsletter on Substack. Subscription is free!
Category: neuroscience – Page 85
Scientists issue dire warning: Microplastic accumulation in human brains escalating
A new study published in Nature Medicine has revealed the presence of microplastics – tiny fragments of degraded plastic – in human brain tissue. While previous research has identified microplastics in organs such as the liver, kidneys, and placenta, this study suggests that the brain may be especially vulnerable to these tiny synthetic particles.
Scientists have made a disturbing discovery: human brains contain microplastics, and at higher concentrations than other organs. Worse, brain levels have jumped 50% in just eight years.
Bernardo Kastrup — Panpsychism: Arguing Pro and Con
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Panpsychism is the theory that consciousness is irreducible and exists fundamentally at the foundations of reality. Panpsychism forms include ‘micropsychism,’ where fundamental particles or fields are in some sense conscious, and ‘Cosmopsychism,’ where the entire universe is in some sense conscious. What are the arguments for and against Panpsychism like the ‘combination problem’?
Closer To Truth is now on BlueSky! Follow us for updates, new videos, musings, and more: https://bsky.app/profile/closertotrut… Kastrup is a Brazilian-born Dutch philosopher and computer scientist best known for his work in the field of consciousness studies, particularly his development of analytic idealism, a form of metaphysical idealism grounded in the analytic philosophical tradition. Make a tax-deductible donation of any amount to help us continue exploring the world’s deepest questions: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Closer To Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.
Bernardo Kastrup is a Brazilian-born Dutch philosopher and computer scientist best known for his work in the field of consciousness studies, particularly his development of analytic idealism, a form of metaphysical idealism grounded in the analytic philosophical tradition.
Make a tax-deductible donation of any amount to help us continue exploring the world’s deepest questions: https://closertotruth.com/donate/
Closer To Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.
MIND-STUFF: How William Clifford Connected Geometry, Matter, and Mind — VERSADOCO
What if the key to the universe was discovered over a century ago—and then forgotten?
In the late 19th century, a young math prodigy named William Clifford proposed a radical idea: that reality itself is woven from the same fabric as the mind. Long before Einstein, long before quantum theory, Clifford envisioned a world where matter, consciousness, and geometry are one.
His ideas were largely overlooked, seen as too speculative for the science of his time. Today, they look like the missing blueprint for a true Theory of Everything.
Is Clifford’s path one that science is only now catching up to?
Based on the original research by idb.kniganews “Clifford’s Path”
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A Review of US Army Research Contributing to Cognitive Enhancement …
Found on Google from link.springer.com
Artificial Intelligence in Neuroscience
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Neuroscience are two fields, but they are closely related to each other. Artificial intelligence can provide powerful tools for neuroscience research, and its application in neurological diseases is of great importance. The convergence of AI and neuroscience has sparked a paradigm shift in our understanding of the brain and its intricate mechanisms.
Here, Creative Biolabs explores the remarkable impact of AI in neuroscience research, highlighting its potential to unlock new frontiers in our quest to unravel the mysteries of the brain.
Neuroscience research generates vast amounts of complex data, ranging from molecular and cellular information to data generated by large-scale brain activity. For researchers, analyzing and decoding this wealth of data is a major challenge. AI technology steps in to address just this problem.
Mind-reading brain implant continuously ‘streams’ thoughts through speaker
Researchers have used a mind-reading brain implant to continuously play a paralyzed person’s thoughts through a speaker, allowing them to talk again.
Maurits Ortmanns: Advancements in ASIC Design for Neurotech Implants
In this episode, we welcome Prof. Dr.-Ing. Maurits Ortmanns, a leading expert in ASIC design and professor at the University of Ulm, Germany. With a distinguished career in microelectronics, Dr. Ortmanns has contributed extensively to the development of integrated circuits for biomedical applications. He shares insights into the critical role of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) design in advancing neurotech implants, focusing on low-power, high-speed circuits that are essential for optimizing the performance and reliability of these devices. Dr. Ortmanns also discusses the challenges and future of circuit integration in neurotechnology.
Top 3 Takeaways:
“Each ASIC is very low in cost because the development cost is spread across millions of units. The actual production cost is minimal; the primary expense lies in the development time until the first chips are produced and ready for manufacturing.” “For an inexperienced engineer, it typically takes about six months to a year to design the blueprint for the chip. Then, depending on the manufacturer, it takes an additional four to six months for the actual fabrication of the ASIC. Finally, you would need another one to two months for testing, so the total turnaround time for a small chip is approximately one and a half years.” “Let’s take the example of a neuromodulator. You need recordings or data from neurons and stimulation data going to the neurons, so you essentially have these two components. Then, you encounter challenges like stimulation artifacts. One person might focus on eliminating the stimulation artifact in the recording channel. That requires additional algorithms or hardware, and the data needs to be digitized, which is another task. You may also have someone working on a compression algorithm and building digital circuitry to compress the raw input data. Then, there’s the data interface, power management, and wireless energy delivery. Each person works on their specific innovation, and if everything is well-planned and lucky, all these pieces can come together to create a complete system. However, sometimes you simply don’t have a breakthrough idea for power management or communication.” 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did?
3:15 What is integrated circuit design?
7:30 What are ASIC’s? How are they used in neurotech?
10:15 How does the million dollar fab cost get split into each chip?