Ian Barbour once claimed that an argument between a religious fundamentalist and a science fundamentalist was like a struggle between a warthog and a boa constrictor; in the end the victor swallows the vanquished. Is that the last word in … Continue reading →
If you ask me, do you believe in God? You are really asking three questions. What do you mean by “belief?” What do you mean by “God?” And given the answers to the first two questions, do you believe … Continue reading →
Think about all your dreams, loves, memories, and fears. Think about yourself as an individual existing through time. Somehow all this arises from three pounds of meat packed inside your skull. How is this possible? There is nothing we … Continue reading →
The 17th century Frenchman René Descartes is often called the father of modern philosophy. He developed a theory of consciousness that makes perfect sense. Now being called a Cartesian dualist is a serious insult. What went wrong? Music: Borodin, … Continue reading →
The brain works in strange ways. Einstein’s inferior parietal lobe was 15% larger that yours or mine. That made him a genius. A construction worker named Phineas Gage had part of his brain destroyed in a blasting accident. That … Continue reading →
Did you know that you have as many synapses in your brain as there are leaves on all the trees in the Amazon rain forest and each synapse can do arithmetical calculations using protein molecules? Music: Scriabin, Opus … Continue reading →
What if our brains are just complicated computers? We know how computers work, so we must understand everything about consciousness. Is it really that simple? Music: J. S. Bach, Toccatas BWV 910-916 Mehmet Okonsar, piano The pdf … Continue reading →
Would it be possible to build a computer that was conscious in the same way that we are? There is a classic (and controversial) argument to the effect that this is impossible, even in principle. Just imagine — you are … Continue reading →
Does your conscious mind have any effect on your brain? Maybe not. Some claim that our consciousness is like the rainbow over a waterfall. The waterfall causes it, but the rainbow in turn has no effect on the waterfall. This … Continue reading →
Is it true that consciousness is purely physical? The most famous argument against this point of view is the story of Black and White Mary. Music: Beethoven, String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Third Movement, Orion Quartet Licensed … Continue reading →