Re: Quantum entaglement, human cognitive capacity

From: Krekoski Ross (rosskrekoski@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Mar 02 2008 - 16:36:55 MST


Thanks!

Ross

On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 11:17 PM, Günther Greindl <guenther.greindl@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Ross,
>
> Krekoski Ross wrote:
> > Why has there not been any discussion that I can find, regarding the
> > very real possibility that quantum entanglement plays a large role in
> > the functioning of the human brain?
>
>
> Read this:
> The importance of quantum decoherence in brain processes
> Max Tegmark
>
> http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9907009
>
>
> Abstract:
> Based on a calculation of neural decoherence rates, we argue that that
> the degrees of freedom of the human brain that relate to cognitive
> processes should be thought of as a classical rather than quantum
> system, i.e., that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the current
> classical approach to neural network simulations. We find that the
> decoherence timescales ~10^{-13}-10^{-20} seconds are typically much
> shorter than the relevant dynamical timescales (~0.001-0.1 seconds),
> both for regular neuron firing and for kink-like polarization
> excitations in microtubules. This conclusion disagrees with suggestions
> by Penrose and others that the brain acts as a quantum computer, and
> that quantum coherence is related to consciousness in a fundamental way.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Günther
>
>
> --
> Günther Greindl
> Department of Philosophy of Science
> University of Vienna
> guenther.greindl@univie.ac.at
> http://www.univie.ac.at/Wissenschaftstheorie/
>
> Blog: http://dao.complexitystudies.org/
> Site: http://www.complexitystudies.org
>



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