Consciousness and the Singularity

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Consciousness and the
Singularity -
How we can get there

Stuart Hameroff MD

Anesthesiology, Psychology
Center for
Consciousness Studies
The University of Arizona, Tucson,
Arizona
www.quantumconsciousness.org
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For Descartes, consciousness like a play on stage
The Cartesian
Theater
3
Simon and Newell
developed similar brain/mind computer
architectures

CPU
4

Neuroscientists Baars, Edelman/Tononi,

Changeux/Dehaene, Crick/Koch cast

thalamo-cortical oscillations as
Global
workspace for consciousness
BING!!


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Neuroscientists Baars, Edelman/Tononi,

Changeux/Dehaene, Crick/Koch cast

thalamo-cortical oscillations as
Global
workspace for consciousness
BING!!
Based on sensory stimuli and arousal,
bottom-up, top-down

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But much brain activity occurs without stimuli,
e.g. due to internally generated states, mind
wandering, memories, meditation, daydreams

The Brain's Dark Energy/Default
network
Raichle (2006) Science 314 1249 1250,
2006)
BING!!!
BING!!




BING!!!
BING!!


BING!!

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But much brain activity occurs without stimuli,
e.g. due to internally generated states, mind
wandering, memories, meditation, daydreams

The Brain's Dark Energy/Default
network
Raichle (2006) Science 314 1249 1250,
2006)
BING!!!
BING!!




BING!!!
BING!!


BING!!
Activity correlating with
consciousness moves around the brain
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• Cognitive brain
  functions
• Sensory perception
• Control of behavior
• Learning, Memory
• Attention, Sleep
• Language
• Intelligence
• Visceral/sexual
• may be either
  non-conscious
• (Chalmers easy problems, zombie modes,
  auto-pilot)

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• Brain functions
  (cognition)
• Sensory perception
• Control of behavior
• Learning, Memory
• Attention, Sleep
• Language
• Intelligence
• Visceral, Sexual
• or
  conscious

Bing
Bing
Bing
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• Brain functions
  (cognition)
• Sensory perception
• Control of behavior
• Learning, Memory
• Attention, Sleep
• Language
• Intelligence
• Visceral, Sexual

Bing
Bing

Bing


accompanied by gamma
synchrony EEG
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• Brain functions
  (cognition)
• Sensory perception
• Control of behavior
• Learning, Memory
• Attention, Sleep
• Language
• Intelligence
• Visceral, Sexual

Bing
Bing
Bing



moving and redistributing
through the brain
12

• Brain functions
  (cognition)
• Sensory perception
• Control of behavior
• Learning, Memory
• Attention, Sleep
• Language
• Intelligence
• Visceral, Sexual

Bing

Bing



Bing
moving and redistributing through
the brain
13

• Brain functions
  (cognition)
• Sensory perception
• Control of behavior
• Learning, Memory
• Attention, Sleep
• Language
• Intelligence
• Visceral, Sexual

Bing

Bing


Bing
moving and redistributing through the
brain
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EEG is divided into frequency
bands Delta (lt 4 Hz) Theta (4 to 8 Hz) Alpha (8
to 12 Hz) Beta (13 to 30 Hz) Gamma (gt 30
Hz) Coherence in gamma synchrony among different
brain regions is the best correlate of
consciousness
The best neurophysiological correlate of
consciousness (NCC) comes from EEG, voltage
fluctuations recorded from scalp or brain
surface.
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Doesburg


BING!!
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Loss of consciousness with general
anesthesia correlates with loss of gamma
coherence between frontal and occipital
cortex (John and Prichep Anesthesiology, 2005)

BING!!
BING!!

Bing

Bing
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BING!!!

BING
Lutz et al, PNAS
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Dendrites


Cell body
Axonal firing, or spike
Dendrites

Hodgkin-Huxley neuron leads
to integrate-and-fire
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Biological brain neuron McCulloch-Pitt
s artificial neuron, Perceptron
Toy neuron
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Integrate
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Fire
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This type of neurocomputation can explain
non-conscious cognition
Chalmers easy problems, zombie modes,
auto-pilot
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Neurocomputation can explain the
computerized auto-pilot


Wheres the pilot?
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Wheres consciousness?
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Wheres the BING?
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Wheres the gamma synchrony?
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Neurons connected by
axonal-dendritic chemical synapses

dont synchronize
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EEG measures post-synaptic dendritic
integration (not axonal firings) Synchrony
comes from dendrites
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Two types of synapses 1) Chemical synapses
2) Electrical (gap junction) synapses
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Open gap junctions between
dendrites mediate gamma synchrony
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Sideways
Synchrony Neuronal network dendrites
linked by gap junctions (dendritic webs)
depolarize coherently in gamma synchrony

BING!!
BING!! BING!!

BING!!
correlate with consciousness
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B I
N G !
!
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BING!! BING!!
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B I N G
! !
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B I
N G !
!
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BING!! BING!!
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B I N G
! !
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Gap junction-connected dendritic webs can cross
the brain
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Gap junction-mediated gamma synchrony in
olfactory bulb cortex correlates with conscious
smell . J Neuroscience. 26(8)2269-77,
2006 Neuron46(5)761-72, 2005

BING!!
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Neuroscience. 159(4)1257-63,
2009 Brain Research. 115646-58, 2007
Conscious feelings of pleasure and reward
correlate with gap junction-mediated gamma
synchrony in dopaminergic nucleus accumbens
BING!!
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Collective integration among dendrites
of multiple neurons
enables more intelligent processing
Outputs reflect
collective integration, agency
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• Hameroff S (2009) The conscious pilotdendritic
  synchrony moves through the brain to mediate
  consciousness Journal of Biological Physics
• http//www.springerlink.com/content/?k10.1007/s10
  867-009-9148-x
• www.quantumconsciousness.org
• The neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) is
  a self-organizing
• zone of synchrony moving through the brains
  neuronal networks,
• metaphorically computer worm, (actual)
  ghost in the machine, or
• conscious pilot wandering through a plane on
  auto-pilot

55

• Hameroff S (2009) The conscious pilotdendritic
  synchrony moves through the brain to mediate
  consciousness Journal of Biological Physics
• http//www.springerlink.com/content/?k10.1007/s10
  867-009-9148-x
• www.quantumconsciousness.org
• The neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) is
  a self-organizing
• zone of synchrony moving through the brains
  neuronal networks,
• metaphorically computer worm, (actual)
  ghost in the machine, or
• conscious pilot wandering through a plane on
  auto-pilot
• A comparable mobile agent, or bubble of
  awareness implemented
• In artificial general intelligence (AGI)
  systems by Ben Goertzel

56

• Hameroff S (2009) The conscious pilotdendritic
  synchrony moves through the brain to mediate
  consciousness Journal of Biological Physics
• http//www.springerlink.com/content/?k10.1007/s10
  867-009-9148-x
• www.quantumconsciousness.org
• The neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) is
  a self-organizing
• zone of synchrony moving through the brains
  neuronal networks,
• metaphorically computer worm, (actual)
  ghost in the machine, or
• conscious pilot wandering through a plane on
  auto-pilot
• A comparable mobile agent, or bubble of
  awareness implemented
• in artificial general intelligence (AGI)
  systems by Ben Goertzel
• Marc Ebner in Tuebingen is modeling pattern
  recognition in a
• sub-network, or zone moving through input
  layers of a neural network

57

• Hameroff S (2009) The conscious pilotdendritic
  synchrony moves through the brain to mediate
  consciousness Journal of Biological Physics
• http//www.springerlink.com/content/?k10.1007/s10
  867-009-9148-x
• www.quantumconsciousness.org
• The neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) is
  a self-organizing
• zone of synchrony moving through the brains
  neuronal networks,
• metaphorically computer worm, (actual)
  ghost in the machine, or
• conscious pilot wandering through a plane on
  auto-pilot
• A comparable mobile agent, or bubble of
  awareness is implemented
• in artificial general intelligence (AGI)
  systems by Ben Goertzel
• Marc Ebner in Tuebingen is modeling pattern
  recognition in a
• sub-network, or zone moving through input
  layers of a neural network
• Consciousness may require a semi-autonomous
  mobile agent moving
• through computational networks

58

• Hameroff S (2009) The conscious pilotdendritic
  synchrony moves through the brain to mediate
  consciousness Journal of Biological Physics
• http//www.springerlink.com/content/?k10.1007/s10
  867-009-9148-x
• www.quantumconsciousness.org
• The neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) is
  a self-organizing
• zone of synchrony moving through the brains
  neuronal networks,
• metaphorically computer worm, (actual)
  ghost in the machine, or
• conscious pilot wandering through a plane on
  auto-pilot
• A mobile agent, or bubble of awareness is
  implemented in
• artificial general intelligence (AGI) systems
  by Ben Goertzel
• Marc Ebner in Tuebingen is modeling pattern
  recognition in a
• sub-network, or zone moving through input
  layers of a neural network
• The Singularity may require a semi-autonomous
  mobile agent moving
• through computational media
• Wheres the Bing? Wheres
  consciousness?

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Nancy Woolf
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Nancy Woolf
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Alzheimers disease
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Memories Selectively Erased In
Mice ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2008) Selected
set of memories can be rapidly and
specifically erased from the mouse brain
in a controlled and inducible manner via
CaMKII CaMKII Molecule of memory (but where
is memory stored?)
CaMKII in dendritic spines with memory Zhang
et al, PNAS 10512039, 2008
Dr JZ
Tsien
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Top view Side view
Un-activated
Activated

(Hameroff,
Craddock, Tuszynski)

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Microtubule A lattice
Microtubule B lattice
Activated CaMKII overlying A lattice
Activated CaMKII overlying B lattice

(Two possible
configurations)

(Hameroff, Craddock, Tuszynski)
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Activated CaMKII and microtubules - perfect
match for information transfer via
phosphorylation

CaMKII nanobots each have 26


possible phosphorylation states

to convey memory
information

to microtubules for processing

and storage

(Hameroff,
Craddock, Tuszynski)
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• Computational Capacity of the
  Human Brain
• Neuronal firings, synaptic transmissions as
  fundamental bits
• 1011 neurons/brain
• 103 synapses/neuron
• 102 firings/neuron/second
• 1016 neuronal-level brain operations per second

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• Computational Capacity of the
  Human Brain
• Microtubule subunit states as fundamental bits
• 107 microtubule subunits/neuron
• 107 switches/second (8 megahertz)
• 1011 neurons/brain
• 1025 brain operations per second

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• Computational Capacity of the
  Human Brain
• Microtubule subunit states as fundamental bits
• 107 microtubule subunits/neuron
• 107 switches/second (8 megahertz)
• 1011 neurons/brain
• 1025 brain operations per second
• But the good news microtubules self-assemble!

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Prequel
to the Singularity  Final chapter in  Ultimate
Computing Biomolecular Consciousness and
Nanotechnology, Elsevier-North Holland,
Amsterdam Hameroff S (1987)
http//www.quantumconsciousness.org/ultimatecomput
ing.html   11   The Future of Consciousness   Nan
otechnology may enable Mind/Tech
merger.consciousness existing within computers
or mind-piloted robots as expressed by Moravec,
Sagan .information encoded in the
collective dynamics of microtubule subunit
states.the roots of consciousnessmaking
possible transfer of mind content   ..choose to
deposit their mind in such a place, where
consciousness can exist indefinitely, and in
greater magnitude1020 tubulin subunits assembled
into tensegrity arrays of interconnected
microtubules and centrioles
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Primary cilium in brain neurons

Cilium, centriole
Primary cilium in brain neurons
Photons pass through cilium, centriole
in retinal rod, cone cells

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Centrioles detect photons directionally
and guide cell movement
Guenter Albrecht-Buehler http//www.basic.northwes
tern.edu/g-buehler/cellint0.htm
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Are cilia/centrioles
quantum optical devices?
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Prequel
to the Singularity  Final chapter in  Ultimate
Computing Biomolecular Consciousness and
Nanotechnology, Elsevier-North Holland,
Amsterdam Hameroff S (1987)
http//www.quantumconsciousness.org/ultimatecomput
ing.html   11   The Future of Consciousness   Nan
otechnology may enable Mind/Tech
merger.consciousness existing within computers
or mind-piloted robots as expressed by Moravec,
Sagan .information encoded in the
collective dynamics of microtubule subunit
states.the roots of consciousnessmaking
possible transfer of mind content   ..choose to
deposit their mind in such a place, where
consciousness can exist indefinitely, and in
greater magnitudearrays of 1015 tubulin subunits
assembled into tensegrity arrays of
interconnected microtubules and centrioles
Wheres the Bing? Wheres consciousness?

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Consciousness is an actual physical process,
a sequence of quantum state reductions connected
by Eh/t to an objective threshold inherent in
spacetime geometry (objective reduction, OR)

Sir Roger Penrose
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Penrose-Hameroff 1995 Quantum computations in
microtubules reduce by OR, orchestrated by
synapses - Orch OR
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Bing Bing
Bing Bing Bing
Orch OR conscious events - quantum state
reductions by Orch OR occurring
at gamma synchrony
(Whitehead occasions of experience)
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Penrose-Hameroff Orch OR model 1995/1996
original publications 1995 to present
criticism, no refutation 1998 20 testable
predictions published Validations 1) coherent
megahertz excitations in microtubules (Pokorny
2004) 2) warm quantum coherence in biology
(Engel et al, 2007) 3) topological quantum error
correction geometry in microtubules 4) unique
electron conduction in microtubules at megahertz
(Bandyopadhyay) 5) gap junctions mediate
neural correlate of consciousness
(1999-2003) Conscious pilot/Orch OR is
the most complete theory of consciousness
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Hameroff and Penrose 96 Orch OR connects
brain processes to the fabric of spacetime,
fundamental spacetime geometry at the Planck
scale, to precursors of conscious experience
embedded there along with
irreducible precursors of mass, spin and charge

Descriptions of Planck scale geometry Loop
quantum gravity/quantum geometry String
theory, Calabi-Yau space

Consciousness, information in the fabric of
spacetime geometry?



Wheres consciousness? Wheres the BING?

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From the film A.I. by Stephen
Spielberg
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• Conclusions
• Interfacing, preserving consciousness (The
  Singularity) may require
• For artificial systems, a mobile, self-organizing
  agent moving semi-autonomously through
  computational networks (conscious pilot)
• 2) Interfacing to brain/mind neuronal
  microtubule, cilia and centriole quantum optical
  processes via implanted fiber optics, or
  noninvasively by photon echo of retina
• Artificial conscious media of self-assembling
  microtubules, cilia, centrioles, CaMKII, and/or
  fullerenes, graphenes, duroquinones capable of
  quantum computing via OR
• www.quantumconsciou
  sness.org