CW
The Most Unsolvable Question In Science - Annaka Harris
@ Chris Williamson
04/13/25
Takeaways
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The most unsettling idea about consciousness is how non-conscious matter in the universe can configure to create an experience of being from the inside, and the mystery of how that transition occurs keeps me up at night.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Despite over 20 years of studying consciousness with neuroscientists, we have not made any progress in understanding how consciousness comes to be, which I find categorically different from anything else science has studied.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Consciousness can only be known from the inside; we cannot get true evidence of a conscious experience from the outside, which is different from any other scientific study.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
In locked-in syndrome, a person can be completely paralyzed yet have an intact conscious experience, illustrating that we cannot infer consciousness from external behavior alone.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Many intuitions about consciousness are shattered by current neuroscience research, revealing that our conscious experiences are often constructed from subconscious processes.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The brain creates conscious experiences that help us navigate the world, but these experiences do not necessarily reflect the underlying reality, as described by the term 'controlled hallucinations.'
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Living in the present moment refers to our conscious experience, which is the only thing we can know for sure, regardless of the underlying reality.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The idea of a single self is challenged by split-brain studies, which show that different conscious experiences can arise within the same body, leading to the conclusion that consciousness may not be a singular entity.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Consciousness is binary; it either exists or it doesn't, and the question of the lowest possible amount of consciousness before it ceases to exist is what keeps me up at night.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Conscious experiences occur in the universe, and it's more accurate to think of them as events rather than attributing them to a solid self, as the feeling of being a self is an illusion. The experience of self is more like an ocean wave than a static entity; it's a dynamic process that evolves over time.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Consciousness might just be a malfunction of the brain rather than an essential feature, similar to how light gives off heat as a side effect.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
We have a strong intuition that consciousness is causal and drives behavior, but neuroscience shows we lack evidence for this belief.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
My work aims to challenge our intuitions about consciousness and encourage creative thinking about its nature.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
If AI can outthink us without being conscious, it suggests that consciousness may be overrated in terms of its necessity for intelligence.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The future of science may involve rethinking our ability to experience systems beyond our current perceptions, such as the earth's magnetic field.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Experiments in sensory substitution show that the brain can adapt to new ways of perceiving the world, such as through electro-tactile signals.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The study of plants is advancing rapidly, revealing their complex behaviors and interactions with light, which challenges previous taboos in research.
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Chris Williamson Cast
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The daughter vine can sense when a seedling is sprouting and moves in the air to find something to parasitize.
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Chris Williamson Cast
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Plants can sense light and use it to determine the shape and nutritional content of other plants, influencing their growth direction.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
Consciousness might be a fundamental property of the universe, akin to gravity, rather than arising from complex processing.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
We should consider whether consciousness is fundamental and explore scientific questions from that perspective, as it may lead to new insights.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
If consciousness is fundamental, it could represent various conscious experiences arising in the universe, making previously incomprehensible concepts easier to understand.
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Annaka Harris
04/13/25
@ Chris Williamson
The future of consciousness research may involve sharing experiences across individuals, enhancing our understanding of consciousness and its relation to one another.