Informational Panpsychism – a Dual-Aspect Monism

In many discussions of the work of the modern panpsychists (eg Goff and more recently (Bollands) a universal-lifer who posits no distinction between the actions of living and conscious things), I have pleaded for a pan-proto-psychism / pan-proto-living world-view where the proto-stoff is information. One obvious reason is that information exists non-contentiously at all levels … Continue reading “Informational Panpsychism – a Dual-Aspect Monism”

Quantum Weirdness Ain’t So Weird

Had this Aeon piece by Philip Ball on my desktop for a day or two, and had it brought to my attention today by Robin. Firstly I’m already a believer that the wave-particle duality and collapse of the wave function driven by the observer are fudges, as is the idea that many superpositioned states represent … Continue reading “Quantum Weirdness Ain’t So Weird”

Integrated Information Theory

I’m exploring available theories of consciousness that tie themselves in open-minded ways to fundamental physics, that is they don’t automatically exclude themselves from physical explanation by overly reductionist reliance on objects already (accepted as being) defined by physics. Yesterday, I summarised what I heard from Robert Kuhn’s Physics of Consciousness / Closer to Truth resources. … Continue reading “Integrated Information Theory”

Information & Communication are Fundamental

That information and communication are fundamental properties and behaviours of the universe, human and cosmic, has kinda been part of my worldview since I started this blogging project, but it’s one of those “facts” that becomes ever more clearly defined. And I don’t believe it’s just the self-reinforcement of echo-chamber and confirmation-bias. If anything, it’s … Continue reading “Information & Communication are Fundamental”

Quantum in “Scare Quotes”

Good job this story has “Quantum Computing” in scare quotes because it’s nothing to do with quantum computing – computing using quantum information in qubits. It’s a computer that uses quantum effects, like every computer – in fact like every device, and indeed everything in the cosmos, you and me included. What it is using specifically … Continue reading “Quantum in “Scare Quotes””

Quantum Consciousness, Whitehead and Pirsig

Mark Germine posted a link on MoQ-Discuss to his paper “The Holographic Principle Theory of Mind” on the Dynamical Psychology philosophy journal site edited by Ben Goertzel. (I have Ben linked in my side-bar blogroll). Mark’s summary is The Holographic Principle holds the information in any region of space and time exists on the surface … Continue reading “Quantum Consciousness, Whitehead and Pirsig”

First Commercial Quantum Computer

Demonstrated today in Silicon Valley by Canadian company D:Wave Systems. Thanks to Magnus Berg over on MoQ.Discuss for the link. I’ve been following Quantum Computing, not so much for the interest in processing power and super-computing applications, exciting though they may be, but because of the increasing importance of Quantum Information as a fundamental level … Continue reading “First Commercial Quantum Computer”

Quantum Computation – Video Encryption

One of the claimed opportunities for quantum information processing is highly secure private key encryption – here demonstrated in real time encryption and decryption of each frame of streamed video. I see from the linked stories, the other more interesting aspect, non-local entanglement over real world distances also demonstrated (1mm and 600m mentioned). The encryption … Continue reading “Quantum Computation – Video Encryption”

Where Has Quantum Computing Got To ?

I last rounded up on this stuff back here. And just before this I linked to the abstracts from Quantum Mind 2003 held in Tuscon, Arizona in March this year. The original BCS Cybernetics Group stuff I linked to earlier is being taken forward in the CASYS’03 conference in Liege, Belgium in August under the … Continue reading “Where Has Quantum Computing Got To ?”

Deutsch on Parallel Universes & Quantum Computing

Many Worlds / Parallel Universes Guru – Dr David DeutschDeutsch shares Josephsons conviction that quantum physics is at the heart of processing and communication of information, but famously created a stir when rubbishing Josephsons suggestion that there was anything credible in paranormal phenomena like ESP that might ultimately be explained by quantum physics or even … Continue reading “Deutsch on Parallel Universes & Quantum Computing”