What is time, and what does it have to do with consciousness? In this episode we’ll take a look at what science says about time and how it relates to things like free will and consciousness. While time itself can’t be fully defined and seems to be either a fundamental property of the universe, or of our minds, there’s a lot of interesting stuff to be said about it. Unproven assumptions about time also crop up in many philosophical thought experiments.  In this episode: Clarification about physics and consciousness – undefinability of time – entropy, free will and unknowability – entropy as a measure of disorder – Second law of thermodynamics – Evolution and 2nd law fallacy – free will and time – Daniel Dennett’s view of free will – multiple possible versions of the past – entropy and determinism – entropy and randomness – interpretation of quantum mechanics – Werner Heisenberg – the connection between space and time – train simultaneity thought experiment – Michelson-Morley experiment – time dilation – the twin paradox – Minkowski spacetime and determinism – Kant’s view (transcendental aesthetic) – what’s wrong with solipsism – usefulness of Einstein’s approach to time – Schrödinger’s Cat and time – black holes – vagueness of existing ideas on consciousness

What is time, and what does it have to do with consciousness? In this episode we’ll take a look at what science says about time and how it relates to things like free will and consciousness. While time itself can’t be fully defined and seems to be either a fundamental property of the universe, or of our minds, there’s a lot of interesting stuff to be said about it. Unproven assumptions about time also crop up in many philosophical thought experiments. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: Clarification about physics and consciousness – undefinability of time – entropy, free will and unknowability – entropy as a measure of disorder – Second law of thermodynamics – Evolution and 2nd law fallacy – free will and time – Daniel Dennett’s view of free will – multiple possible versions of the past – entropy and determinism – entropy and randomness – interpretation of quantum mechanics – Werner Heisenberg – the connection between space and time – train simultaneity thought experiment – Michelson-Morley experiment – time dilation – the twin paradox – Minkowski spacetime and determinism – Kant’s view (transcendental aesthetic) – what’s wrong with solipsism – usefulness of Einstein’s approach to time – Schrödinger’s Cat and time – black holes – vagueness of existing ideas on consciousness

What is Time?

Do we need a new scientific theory of metaphysics, and if so, what might that theory look like? In this episode, the first in a very long time, we’ll talk about why materialism just doesn’t work and why many philosophers miss the point on materialism. We’ll go over some of the reasons why materialism doesn’t work and we’ll get into how physics might change, becoming more “metaphysical”, to produce a new alternative to materialism.  In this episode: New podcast format – materialism, the dominant philosophical outlook of scientists – Isaac Newton and “gravitas” – Faraday and his fields – consciousness as an epiphenomenon – why consciousness could not have evolved according to strict contemporary materialism – the evolution of states – why do emotional states synchronise with physical states – infinities in space – states in quantum mechanics – the Copenhagen Interpretation – the Problem of Measurement – Richard Feynman’s pronouncement on quantum physics – the brain as a chaotic system – perception of photons – neurons and firing – firing, neurotransmitters at synapses and ion migration – Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason – all we know is our interpretation of the universe – hemispheric neglect – the need for a more detailed definition of existence – solipsism and its problems – what operations are common in all measurements of position? – other people seem to exist – why do we all observe the same things? – how determinism rescues a form of solipsism, if you want it to – “fractals” as a model of the universe – the problem raised by free will – the possibility of a metaphysics theory of physics – subconscious vs conscious – how we do a huge number of things consciously but have no memory of them – are meditation and LSD any use for metaphysics? – the next mindcast

Do we need a new scientific theory of metaphysics, and if so, what might that theory look like? In this episode, the first in a very long time, we’ll talk about why materialism just doesn’t work and why many philosophers miss the point on materialism. We’ll go over some of the reasons why materialism doesn’t work and we’ll get into how physics might change, becoming more “metaphysical”, to produce a new alternative to materialism. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: New podcast format – materialism, the dominant philosophical outlook of scientists – Isaac Newton and “gravitas” – Faraday and his fields – consciousness as an epiphenomenon – why consciousness could not have evolved according to strict contemporary materialism – the evolution of states – why do emotional states synchronise with physical states – infinities in space – states in quantum mechanics – the Copenhagen Interpretation – the Problem of Measurement – Richard Feynman’s pronouncement on quantum physics – the brain as a chaotic system – perception of photons – neurons and firing – firing, neurotransmitters at synapses and ion migration – Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason – all we know is our interpretation of the universe – hemispheric neglect – the need for a more detailed definition of existence – solipsism and its problems – what operations are common in all measurements of position? – other people seem to exist – why do we all observe the same things? – how determinism rescues a form of solipsism, if you want it to – “fractals” as a model of the universe – the problem raised by free will – the possibility of a metaphysics theory of physics – subconscious vs conscious – how we do a huge number of things consciously but have no memory of them – are meditation and LSD any use for metaphysics? – the next mindcast

A New Scientific Revolution?

Modern science propounds the view that the universe, in all its complexity, was created from simple starting conditions following some simple rules. But what if science has it the wrong way round? What if the universe only exists as far as our momentary experience of it, and it is our experience itself that is being built up following simple rules? Indeed, science seems to be verging on contemplating this very idea when it contemplates the strangeness of quantum mechanics. In this episode, we’ll leap right ahead and contemplate the unthinkable possibility that we are generating the universe as we go along, much like a computer generates a fractal image.  In this episode: Materialism makes it hard to explain free will and Schrodinger’s cat – missing considerations from the materialist viewpoint – could everything exist in our minds? – what is the mechanism by which the mind constructs reality, if it does? – Mandelbrot and his fractals – infinite complexity – similarity between physical universe and Mandelbrot fractal – Big Bang and Gödel – our experience could be generated much like a fractal – Hindu/Buddhist metaphysics – we all automatically apply certain mathematical rules in our minds in observing or creating the world – why is the universe full of unexpected stuff? – why can’t we walk through walls or defy gravity? – what is it that all measurements of position have in common? – the hack at the centre of quantum physics Featured Music: “Nimrod” from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar

Modern science propounds the view that the universe, in all its complexity, was created from simple starting conditions following some simple rules. But what if science has it the wrong way round? What if the universe only exists as far as our momentary experience of it, and it is our experience itself that is being built up following simple rules? Indeed, science seems to be verging on contemplating this very idea when it contemplates the strangeness of quantum mechanics. In this episode, we’ll leap right ahead and contemplate the unthinkable possibility that we are generating the universe as we go along, much like a computer generates a fractal image. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: Materialism makes it hard to explain free will and Schrodinger’s cat – missing considerations from the materialist viewpoint – could everything exist in our minds? – what is the mechanism by which the mind constructs reality, if it does? – Mandelbrot and his fractals – infinite complexity – similarity between physical universe and Mandelbrot fractal – Big Bang and Gödel – our experience could be generated much like a fractal – Hindu/Buddhist metaphysics – we all automatically apply certain mathematical rules in our minds in observing or creating the world – why is the universe full of unexpected stuff? – why can’t we walk through walls or defy gravity? – what is it that all measurements of position have in common? – the hack at the centre of quantum physics Featured Music: “Nimrod” from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar

Is the Universe a Giant Fractal?

Very little, if anything, about our experience of the world proves that the physical world really exists independently of ourselves. In fact, the notion of existence is a somewhat badly-defined notion, and many possible mathematical models of reality might fit our experience. Many of us believe that things exist independently of us and look for explanations of life and the universe in terms of physical entities interacting; whether this is ultimately a fully correct way of looking at the situation or not (rather than being simply a practical approximation to part of the real situation) is open to question.  In this episode: The brain lives in a box and generates a sense of space itself – what part of reality is constructed in our brains and what part is “out there”? – what does the word “exists” mean? – do objects exist independently of us? – Why do we think objects exist? – solipsism – dreams and hallucinations – anticholinergics vs psychedelics – our brains can create a sense of a vast universe whether it exists or not – complexity of the universe does not prove its independent existence – does the existence of death prove that the universe is “real”? – we don’t really know what happens after death – the universe appears to store information – do other people exist? – Newtonian physics vs Quantum physics – the importance of emotional distance – Could it ever make sense to say that the world is 5000 years old? – the Theory of Relativity and measurement of distance  Featured music: “Cichy zapada zmrok” (The Dusk Quietly Falls) sung by Marysia Ananiewska.

Very little, if anything, about our experience of the world proves that the physical world really exists independently of ourselves. In fact, the notion of existence is a somewhat badly-defined notion, and many possible mathematical models of reality might fit our experience. Many of us believe that things exist independently of us and look for explanations of life and the universe in terms of physical entities interacting; whether this is ultimately a fully correct way of looking at the situation or not (rather than being simply a practical approximation to part of the real situation) is open to question. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: The brain lives in a box and generates a sense of space itself – what part of reality is constructed in our brains and what part is “out there”? – what does the word “exists” mean? – do objects exist independently of us? – Why do we think objects exist? – solipsism – dreams and hallucinations – anticholinergics vs psychedelics – our brains can create a sense of a vast universe whether it exists or not – complexity of the universe does not prove its independent existence – does the existence of death prove that the universe is “real”? – we don’t really know what happens after death – the universe appears to store information – do other people exist? – Newtonian physics vs Quantum physics – the importance of emotional distance – Could it ever make sense to say that the world is 5000 years old? – the Theory of Relativity and measurement of distance Featured music: “Cichy zapada zmrok” (The Dusk Quietly Falls) sung by Marysia Ananiewska.

Does Anything Really Exist?

View the universe from a new perspective with the help of Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. In this episode we’ll discuss a remarkable book and an equally remarkable idea; the idea that large parts of what we think of as external reality are in fact created by our brains as a sort of theatre in which to place the physical world. The consequences of this idea will turn out to be extremely profound, and may ultimately suggest a new way forward for the science of physics.  In this episode: Kant – the obscurely-written Critique of Pure Reason – Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics – Kant’s metaphysics question – what is metaphysics? – how is pure mathematics possible? – the certainty of mathematical propositions – a priori vs. a posteriori evidence – Descartes’ Discourse on Method – Descartes’ demon and The Matrix – is the universe real? – the 3D nature of space – the inconceivability of a four dimensional space – Relativity – space is constructed by the brain – life inside a 4D computer simulation – pure vs. empirical may not be a a fixed distinction – the brain is only an object in a space it generates – how much of the physical world is “out there” and how much do our minds generate? – dualism in religion – Descartes’ demon – the pineal gland – how do emotions connect to the physical realm? – the mind generates experience of emotion and of physical reality – solipsism – hemispheric neglect and blindsight – Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat – what do we mean by “external reality”? – cogito ergo sum – how do we know we exist? – the traditional Western model of reality – an ongoing process for humanity Featured music:Friel (Soeren Grevbaeck) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Recommended Reading The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant (only tackle this one if you want a challenge!) Prolegomena by Immanuel Kant (easier than “Pure Reason” but still not light reading) Discourse on Method by Descartes (very readable)

View the universe from a new perspective with the help of Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. In this episode we’ll discuss a remarkable book and an equally remarkable idea; the idea that large parts of what we think of as external reality are in fact created by our brains as a sort of theatre in which to place the physical world. The consequences of this idea will turn out to be extremely profound, and may ultimately suggest a new way forward for the science of physics. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: Kant – the obscurely-written Critique of Pure Reason – Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics – Kant’s metaphysics question – what is metaphysics? – how is pure mathematics possible? – the certainty of mathematical propositions – a priori vs. a posteriori evidence – Descartes’ Discourse on Method – Descartes’ demon and The Matrix – is the universe real? – the 3D nature of space – the inconceivability of a four dimensional space – Relativity – space is constructed by the brain – life inside a 4D computer simulation – pure vs. empirical may not be a a fixed distinction – the brain is only an object in a space it generates – how much of the physical world is “out there” and how much do our minds generate? – dualism in religion – Descartes’ demon – the pineal gland – how do emotions connect to the physical realm? – the mind generates experience of emotion and of physical reality – solipsism – hemispheric neglect and blindsight – Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat – what do we mean by “external reality”? – cogito ergo sum – how do we know we exist? – the traditional Western model of reality – an ongoing process for humanity Featured music: Friel (<a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soeren_Grevbaeck/" rel="cc:attributionURL nofollow" target="_blank">Soeren Grevbaeck</a>) / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/" rel="license nofollow" target="_blank">CC BY-NC-ND 3.0</a> <h3>Recommended Reading</h3> <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4280" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant</a> (only tackle this one if you want a challenge!) <a href="http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/ref/Kant.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prolegomena by Immanuel Kant</a> (easier than “Pure Reason” but still not light reading) <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/59/59-h/59-h.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Discourse on Method by Descartes</a> (very readable)

Turning the Universe Inside Out: Quantum Mindcast Episode 5

How mathematical theories show us that we can never have a complete theory of physics — or even the human mind, it seems. In this podcast we’ll descend to the most fundamental level of rational enquiry and delve into mathematics to ask whether it really makes sense to think that we can capture ultimate truth in mathematical equations.  In this episode: The strange story of Whitehead, Russel and Gödel – Principia Mathematica – Kurt Gödel – formal systems – the incompleteness theorems – why we can’t create a grand unified theory of arithmetic, never mind the universe – theories of physics are like nets laid over a mountain range – Roger Penrose and Shadows of the Mind – Plato’s allegory of the cave – the weather and the brain are chaotic systems – chaos theory and Penrose’s crooked chain of pool balls – brains are unpredictable – consciousness is not in the gaps of physical theories – microtubules – do Gödel’s theorems prove anything about the brain? – Gödel’s paranoid food poisoning obsession – the curious relationship between logic and paranoia Featured music: Length and Brecht (Remixed) – Halogen Recommended Reading Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness by Roger Penrose

How mathematical theories show us that we can never have a complete theory of physics — or even the human mind, it seems. In this podcast we’ll descend to the most fundamental level of rational enquiry and delve into mathematics to ask whether it really makes sense to think that we can capture ultimate truth in mathematical equations. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: The strange story of Whitehead, Russel and Gödel – Principia Mathematica – Kurt Gödel – formal systems – the incompleteness theorems – why we can’t create a grand unified theory of arithmetic, never mind the universe – theories of physics are like nets laid over a mountain range – Roger Penrose and Shadows of the Mind – Plato’s allegory of the cave – the weather and the brain are chaotic systems – chaos theory and Penrose’s crooked chain of pool balls – brains are unpredictable – consciousness is not in the gaps of physical theories – microtubules – do Gödel’s theorems prove anything about the brain? – Gödel’s paranoid food poisoning obsession – the curious relationship between logic and paranoia Featured music: <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Halogen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Length and Brecht (Remixed) – Halogen</a> <h3>Recommended Reading</h3> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1363552749&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=godel+escher" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Mind-Missing-Science-Consciousness/dp/0195106466/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1363552695&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=shadows+of+the+mind" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness by Roger Penrose</a>

Can There Ever Be a Grand Unified Theory of Physics? – Quantum Mindcast Episode 4

Free will is not an illusion; why the laws of quantum mechanics show us that our sensation of "free will" cannot be proved to be any kind of illusion. In this episode we'll look at what quantum mechanics is and roughly how it works; we'll talk about the relevance of quantum mechanics to consciousness, and we'll look at the strange scientific mystery of Schrödinger's Cat.  In this episode: Why people assert that free will is an illusion - the brain as a mechanism - Laplace's demon - the brain depends upon quantum mechanical laws - an analogy for how quantum mechanics works - the problem of measurement - Copenhagen interpretation - Many Worlds theory - the Paradox of Schrödinger's Cat Sam Harris - The Delusion of Free Will Featured music: Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4

<code>Free will is not an illusion; why the laws of quantum mechanics show us that our sensation of "free will" cannot be proved to be any kind of illusion. In this episode we'll look at what quantum mechanics is and roughly how it works; we'll talk about the relevance of quantum mechanics to consciousness, and we'll look at the strange scientific mystery of Schrödinger's Cat.</code><code> <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: Why people assert that free will is an illusion - the brain as a mechanism - Laplace's demon - the brain depends upon quantum mechanical laws - an analogy for how quantum mechanics works - the problem of measurement - Copenhagen interpretation - Many Worlds theory - the Paradox of Schrödinger's Cat <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FanhvXO9Pk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sam Harris - The Delusion of Free Will</a> Featured music: <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Beethoven_concerto4_1.ogg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4</a></code>

Free Will and Quantum Physics – Quantum Mindcast Episode 3

Episode 2 of the Quantum Mindcast. In this episode we’ll take a look at a couple of intriguing thought experiments that help to shed light on the nature of consciousness and physical reality; namely, Frank Jackson’s “Mary’s Room” and John Searle’s “Chinese Room”. We’ll also talk about the Theory of Evolution and why it’s not quite the full story.  In this episode: Mary’s Room, aka The Knowledge Arguments – Emotion and the brain are not the same – experience vs. knowledge – Quale – Who makes the grass green? – The mind vs. the brain – Searle’s Chinese Room – Why do so many people dislike the Theory of Evolution – Why consciousness cannot have evolved. Featured music: Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata no. 14 in c sharp minor ‘Moonlight’, op. 27 no. 2 – i. adagio sostenuto

Episode 2 of the Quantum Mindcast. In this episode we’ll take a look at a couple of intriguing thought experiments that help to shed light on the nature of consciousness and physical reality; namely, Frank Jackson’s “Mary’s Room” and John Searle’s “Chinese Room”. We’ll also talk about the Theory of Evolution and why it’s not quite the full story. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: Mary’s Room, aka The Knowledge Arguments – Emotion and the brain are not the same – experience vs. knowledge – Quale – Who makes the grass green? – The mind vs. the brain – Searle’s Chinese Room – Why do so many people dislike the Theory of Evolution – Why consciousness cannot have evolved. Featured music: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ludwig_van_Beethoven_-_sonata_no._14_in_c_sharp_minor_%27moonlight%27,_op._27_no._2_-_i._adagio_sostenuto.ogg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata no. 14 in c sharp minor ‘Moonlight’, op. 27 no. 2 – i. adagio sostenuto</a>

Mary’s Room and the Theory of Evolution – Quantum Mindcast Episode 2

The Quantum Mindcast is here: a podcast about consciousness and quantum physics.  In this episode: The world is a projection of the mind – Introducing the Quantum Mindcast – The mind-body problem – Why there’s little point discussing stuff like telepathy – Schrödinger’s Paradox – Are we machines? – How the brain works – Three common responses to the mind-body problem – Philosophical zombies – We don’t need to throw rationality out the window. Featured music: Illumination by Action Davis, featuring Emmalyne Braswell Note: Francis Crick apparently died in 2004. His work, however, lives on.

The Quantum Mindcast is here: a podcast about consciousness and quantum physics. <a href="http://www.quantumlifetime.com/mindcast/quantum-mindcast-1/attachment/mug3d/" rel="attachment wp-att-45 nofollow" target="_blank"></a> In this episode: The world is a projection of the mind – Introducing the Quantum Mindcast – The mind-body problem – Why there’s little point discussing stuff like telepathy – Schrödinger’s Paradox – Are we machines? – How the brain works – Three common responses to the mind-body problem – Philosophical zombies – We don’t need to throw rationality out the window. Featured music: <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Action_Davis/Beats_EP/Action_Davis_-_Beats_EP_-_09_Illumination_feat_Emmalyne_Braswell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Illumination by Action Davis, featuring Emmalyne Braswell</a> Note: Francis Crick apparently died in 2004. His work, however, lives on.

Are We Machines? – Quantum Mindcast Episode 1

Exploring quantum physics plus consciousness, meditation, the afterlife and ancient mystical teachings from the perspective of modern science.

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