Quantum Probability and Decision Theory

Michael Cardenas mbc at debian.org
Tue Dec 31 16:35:30 PST 2002


On Tue, Dec 24, 2002 at 09:57:58AM -0800, Tim May wrote:
> First, I sent this in error to the CP list...it was intended for
> another list. (My mailer has command completion and I am so used to
> typing "cy" in the To: box and having it expand to
> "cypherpunks at lne.com" that I sent it to CP by accident. As to why type
> list addresses rather than "Reply to All," this is to get the list in
> the To: and not the Cc: and not have misc. other lists or persons
> getting copied--as in this reply, where TD is initially in the To: and
> CP is in the Cc:, in OS X Mail.)
>

And what list would that be? I'd like to take a look at it.


...
>
> On Tuesday, December 24, 2002, at 08:25  AM, Tyler Durden wrote:
> >
> >>>    Yes. I strongly suspect that "minds" are quantum mechanical.
> >
> >Penrose also believes this, and has actually identified
> >Aharanov-Bohm-like structures in certain simple organisms used to
> >probe their immediate environment.
>
> Max Tegmark fairly conclusively demonstrated that decoherence occurs
> far too rapidly in proteins and other biological structures for QM to
> be an actor. As for Stuart Hameroff's nanotubules idea, I've been a
> skeptic of this ever since meeting him at the A-LIFE Conference in 1987.
>

Last summer I read "the physics of consciousness". It was a pretty
disappointing attempt to explain consciousness with QM, mixed with
lots of emotional and relgious hand waving, nice background info
though.

Anyway, this is exactly why I want to do computational neuroscience. I
also think that the turing machine is a sorely classical model, and
that the brain is definitely not a turning machine, but something
else, far more powerful.

As for making a neuron, look into the research of henry abarbanel. I
was in his lab the other day, and his students have actually made
simple neurons that can be wired into the brain of a lobster to
simulate removed neurons, creating the proper oscillation to generate
the signals which allow the lobster to digest things. He mostly does
research into the nonlines dynamic properties of neurons. I'm hoping
to work in his lab next year.

michael

--
michael cardenas       | lead software engineer, lindows.com
hyperpoem.net          | GNU/Linux software developer
people.debian.org/~mbc | encrypted email preferred

Listening to: Lamb - Cotton Wool

"Sit
 Rest
 Work.
 Alone with yourself,
 Never weary.
 On the edge of the forest
 Live joyfully,
 Without desire."
- The Buddha

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