Artificial Intelligence: Will It Achieve Consciousness?

"We define consciousness, and then answer the question whether AI machines are capable of being Conscious? How would we recognize it if it happened? Wikipedia defines consciousness as awareness of internal and external existence. Scientific American defines it as everything you experience.

"In 1950, English mathematician Alan Turing proposed a way to determine whether a machine can actually think, whether it as a mind, called the Turing test in his honor, but was originally called the imitation game. In this test, a human judge holds a text conversation with a human being and a one a computer. If he cannot reliably tell which of the two entities is artificial, then the artificial machine must be considered as having a mind. In March of 2024, Stanford University researchers reported that the latest version of ChatGPT, GPT 4, had passed a rigorous version of the Turing test.

"But this does not mean ChatGPT is conscious. The problem with the Turing test is that while it can show that a machine can simulate human conversation, it does not prove that the machine has a mind, or is aware. While a computer may perfectly simulate the workings of a coffee machine, it does not make anything that we can actually drink."

Click on the link below for the details and an informed opinion on the matter:

How AI Will Become Self-Aware and When? A Lot Sooner than you think!

Conservative Brains: ARE They Different?

"Do MAGA conservatives’ brains prevent them from changing their minds? Scientists may have proven this in a fascinating study."

Psychological research has previously pointed to the evidence that conservatives and liberals think differently (link). However, I am a case study of being able to change my thinking from very conservative most of my life (just turned 79 years old) to very liberal. It would have been interesting if I had this testing before and after. In any event, the video at the link below is interesting:

Did Science Prove Liberals & Conservatives Have Different Brains?

The Latest On The Brain

"Is what you see real? Join neuroscientist Heather Berlin on a quest to understand how your brain shapes your reality, and why you can’t always trust what you perceive. In the first hour of this two-part series, learn what the latest research shows about how your brain processes and shapes the world around you, and discover the surprising tricks and shortcuts your brain takes to help you survive."

The brain clearly isn't the tool humans should use to understand reality. Why? - - -

• It's a tool for survival and comfort
• It distorts reality to achieve such

Consciousness is clearly only the product of brain activity, thus essentially falsifying the concept of a separate supernatural Soul.

Click on the link below for an hour-long documentary supporting the claim that science is the route to understanding reality:

Your Brain: Perception Deception

Comparing The Brain To A Computer

"In which sense are brains similar to the devices we currently call computers, and in which sense not? What’s the difference between what they can do? What's the status of current technology. And is Roger Penrose right in saying that Gödel’s theorem tells us human thought can’t just be computation? At the end of this video, you will know the answers."

Click on the link below for the details:

Is the brain a computer?

The Worsening Of Attention Span

"How long can you focus on a thought – or anything – without being interrupted by your flashing phone? With a powerful distraction inches away, many people find their ability to focus has dwindled to a matter of minutes, according to our next guest. New York Times bestselling author Johann Hari explores the importance of attention and how it has been “stolen” in his latest book. The author speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about what he has found."

Click on the link below for the details:

Are You Having Trouble Paying Attention?

The Neuroscience Of Political Views

As a science-based thinker, I have to accept that there probably is no contra-causal free will. The following short video explores the current understanding of the relationship between the brain, and its function, and political views:

Liberal vs. Conservative: A Neuroscientific Analysis

"The Soul" Falsified

"Neurologist VS Ramachandran explains the case of split-brain patients with one hemisphere without a belief in a god, and the other with a belief in a god."

This is just one of several short and easy-to-understand videos that falsify the claim for an immortal "Soul." Follow the "breadcrumbs" left from this video and be educated in the topic.

Split Brain Effects

More On Consciousness, The Soul, And Free Will

A few months ago I posted on brain oddities, specifically focusing on patients who had split-brain syndrome. This involves the severing of the corpus callosum, the connection between the right and left sides of the brain, The link below delves into the anatomy and physiology of the brain and the importance of the corpus callosum in consciousness and decision-making. It is more evidence that the concepts of a soul and free will are probably illusions.

"Is consciousness a scientific problem to be solved? Or a philosophical problem that will remain a mystery? What do scientists who study the brain think? And why do they think the way they do? These leading brain scientists share their intimate ideas about how the brain generates consciousness."

Click on the link below:

How The Brain Scientists Think About Consciousness

Are Humans The Only Animals That Are Self-Aware Or Wonder?

As science progresses, it finds more and more human traits that other higher animals seem to also exhibit (link). However, two big questions remain: are they self-aware, and do they wonder?

Following are a few links looking into these questions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-awareness

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/animal_instincts

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wondermonkey/2011/06/do-monkeys-wonder-1.shtml

Sleep 101

"Russell Foster is a circadian neuroscientist: He studies the sleep cycles of the brain. And he asks: What do we know about sleep? Not a lot, it turns out, for something we do with one-third of our lives. In this talk, Foster shares three popular theories about why we sleep, busts some myths about how much sleep we need at different ages -- and hints at some bold new uses of sleep as a predictor of mental health."

Sleep is more important than you probably realize.

Why do we sleep?

Does Consciousness Defeat Materialism?

One of my frequent YouTube video channels is "Closer to Truth" with Robert Lawrence Kuhn. It is from PBS television broadcasts. It "features leading philosophers and scientists exploring humanity’s deepest questions." While it is beautifully and professionally done, the problem I have is that Kuhn, a PhD brain scientist, is searching for the truth in the wrong places: philosophy and religion. The latest episode is entitled, "Does consciousness defeat materialism?" and is emblematic of his wanting to believe in a God. It is worth 26 minutes of your time.

This is my comment on it. There usually are some interesting comments to my comments if I comment:

• "Science addresses testable claims and has a structured verification/justification process to minimize errors. Up to this point, science points to the high probability of mind/consciousness being a product of the material brain. Unfortunately, all the claims from philosophers, noetic scientists, intelligent design proponents, and others interested in finding non-material causes for consciousness have failed to present evidence for such. If they claim that science is not the correct tool for addressing the claim, what is, and how would you justify it? Until humanity comes up with a way to evaluate, accept, and verify the non-material claim, we are left with the probability found by science mentioned above. Anything else is an argument from ignorance."

Below is a link to the video:

"Does anything exist beyond the physical world? If yes, could consciousness undermine materialism? If no, could consciousness confirm materialism? It’s the big test."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWv-YtElLxk

Recent Findings: The Brain And The Self

"What does brain damage do to people? By observing strange behaviors in brain-impaired patients, scientists discern how normal brains work. For example, what happens to 'the self'?"

When Brains Go Bad

The gaps continue to close where religious apologists can insert a God.

Brain Oddities And The Soul

"Does the soul exist? Does science prove the soul or disprove it? Explore the oddest clinical cases in the world of neuroscience that raise some very interesting questions about the soul"

I challenge any theist to watch this 10-minute video and come away still believing in a supernatural "Soul."

Click on link below:

A study of brain abnormalities

Brain Health And Exercise

"What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's."

Sometimes it is the simpler things one can do that help the most regarding health.

Click on link below:

The Brain-changing benefits of exercise

False Memories Are Common

"Years of research have taught Elizabeth Loftus just how unreliable our memories are. From tweaking a real memory to planting a completely fabricated one, tampering with our minds is surprisingly easy."

Click on link below:

How Can Our Memories Be Manipulated?

Improving Brain Function

There are many ways of improving brain function, but advertizers like their marks to cut corners and just buy what they are selling regardless of the science (or lack thereof) behind it. These articles focus in on the problem:

https://www.truthinadvertising.org/how-amazon-promotes-profits-from-deceptively-marketed-brain-supplements/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dont-buy-into-brain-health-supplements

Psychotherapy For Children

"Psychotherapy for young people is full of questionable ideas. This article, the first in a three-part series, addresses neurodevelopmental issues, including craniosacral therapy for intellectual disabilities, dolphin-assisted therapy for those on the autism spectrum, brain balancing for inattention, teaching based on learning styles, and dental devices for tics.

"There are hundreds of different types of psychotherapy practices used with children and adolescents. Many have been shown to be ineffective, and some of them even have harmful effects. Still, others have never been tested but are based on implausible assumptions."

Dubious Claims in Psychotherapy For Youth

Brain Imaging Is Imperative For Behavior Diagnosis

Prior to brain imaging,  abnormal human behavior was attributed to evil spirits or the effects of "Original Sin." This video is enlightening in understanding the natural causes of behavior good and bad. After watching it, your opinion on punishment may change.

Brain Health And Other Supplements

"Many people across the globe are interested in learning that it is possible to influence their own brain health and in finding out what can be done to maintain their brain health as they age. We aim to be a trustworthy source of information, basing recommendations on current evidence supplemented by a consensus of experts from a broad array of disciplines and perspectives." (link)

Human Physiology Falsifies This Claim

This so-called "Case for the Soul" is just another "God of the Gaps" argument (yawn). The mind emerges from the brain the same way water emerges from combining 2 atoms of hydrogen with 1 atom of oxygen. This mind, in turn, interacts with the brain and can change it. So what? Motor nerve impulses to muscles can change the structure of muscles. SMH