All Discussions Tagged 'Penrose' - Theosophy.Net2024-03-19T10:40:43Zhttps://theosophy.net/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Penrose&feed=yes&xn_auth=noOrch OR theory of Consciousnesstag:theosophy.net,2014-07-16:3055387:Topic:1381152014-07-16T09:01:55.399ZJohnhttps://theosophy.net/profile/JohnEMead
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The "Orch OR" theory of consciousness was originally presented in Penrose's book "The Road to Reality" in the late 1990's. At the time the theory was too speculative to garner much scientific support. However recent discoveries have supported this view, and it is now back with scientific support and basic mainstream research. In 2014 the new results have stimulated much review of this theory, along with…</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The "Orch OR" theory of consciousness was originally presented in Penrose's book "The Road to Reality" in the late 1990's. At the time the theory was too speculative to garner much scientific support. However recent discoveries have supported this view, and it is now back with scientific support and basic mainstream research. In 2014 the new results have stimulated much review of this theory, along with supporters (non-determinists) and critics (determinists). This newer research supports a</span> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">theosophical view where consciousness pervades reality at a fundamental level.</span></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">Key Points and papers are below</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">In 2002 basic calculations showed that quantum effects could last at time-scales</span> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">relevant to the biology of the microtubules in dendrites. Below is a brief abstract of this paper. It helps set the tone for how science is supporting this work by Penrose as early as 2002. This paper was published in Physical Reviews E (A journal put out by the American Physical Society). (below)</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12188753#" target="_blank">Quantum computation in brain microtubules: decoherence and biological feasibility</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">A current overview of the more recent Orch OR theory discussion is given in the (<strong class="relemb">16-Jan-2014</strong>) EurekAlert which is readable by most armchair scientists (layman) and is given below:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/e-doq011614.php" target="_blank">Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' corroborates theory of consciousness</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Science News has the EurokAlert review also:</span></p>
<h1 class="border-red"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://esciencenews.com/articles/2014/01/16/discovery.quantum.vibrations.microtubules.corroborates.theory.consciousness" target="_blank">Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' corroborates theory of consciousness</a><br/></span></h1>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The Journal which sparked most of the debate is the Applied Physics Letters. The abstract for one of the key papers is given below:</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/apl/102/12/10.1063/1.4793995" target="_blank">Multi-level memory-switching properties of a single brain microtubule</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The most recent paper (referred to in the EurekAlert) is more technical and is written by Hameroff (Anesthesiologist) and Penrose (Mathematical Physicist). The journal which published a whole issue on this is the Physics of Life Reviews. It contains several articles, pro and con, and even a review by Deepak Chopra. The journal (and papers) is below:</span></p>
<h1 class="svTitle" id="ti0010"><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id=""><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1571064513001188" target="_blank">Consciousness in the universe: A review of the ‘Orch OR’ theory</a><br/></span></span></h1>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">(Note: I started a topic on Deepak's paper for most theosophists to comment on)</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="font-size-4">The key paper in the journal above is by Hameroff (Anesthesiologist) and Penrose (Mathematical Physicist). The complete pdf is included above.<br/></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Sorry for so much material. The subject is important though. Any true Theosophist interested in studying Religion, Science and Philosophy should be highly interested in the above. I suggest it be skimmed as a first reading.</span></p>
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