What Nick Lane thinks about consciousness

@nick-lane · 22 positions · 0 changes of mind

Biochemist at University College London, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry and author of The Vital Question and Transformer.

Nick Lane did not write this page.

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4 dated positions, 2022, in their own words. Our reading of what Nick Lane has said — not written or endorsed by them.

4 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

1. 7 Sept 2022

   Our readingAI will out-think us, but it will not become conscious, because consciousness is a property of life.

   Their wordsBut in terms of what we value the most as humans, which is to say our feelings, our emotions, our sense of what the world is in a very personal way that I think means as much or more to people than their information processing. And that’s where I don’t think that AI necessarily will become conscious because I think it’s the property of life.

   ↗Nick Lane: Origin of Life, Evolution, Aliens, Biology, and Consciousness | Lex Fridman Podcast #318youtube.com 16th of 22 in this recording

3. 7 Sept 2022

   Our readingFeelings begin as electrical fields on cell membranes, giving an organism real-time feedback on how it is doing in its environment.

   Their wordsAnd I had suggested that that’s linked to the electrical fields on the membranes themselves and that they give some indication of how am I doing in relation to my environment as a real-time feedback on the world.

   ↗Nick Lane: Origin of Life, Evolution, Aliens, Biology, and Consciousness | Lex Fridman Podcast #318youtube.com 17th of 22 in this recording

5. 7 Sept 2022

   Our readingConsciousness exists to override a rational decision that cannot be made, substituting an emotional judgement when there is too much conflicting information.

   Their wordsDo we need to have some system which is capable of overriding a rational decision which cannot be made because there’s too much conflicting information by effectively an emotional judgmental decision that just says do this and see what happens? That’s what consciousness is really doing in my view.

   ↗Nick Lane: Origin of Life, Evolution, Aliens, Biology, and Consciousness | Lex Fridman Podcast #318youtube.com 18th of 22 in this recording

7. 7 Sept 2022

   Our readingThe Cambrian explosion is no longer much of a mystery; the big mystery left in biology is consciousness.

   Their wordsI don’t think there’s a big mystery. There’s lots of details that need to be filled in. The big mystery in biology is consciousness.

   ↗Nick Lane: Origin of Life, Evolution, Aliens, Biology, and Consciousness | Lex Fridman Podcast #318youtube.com 21st of 22 in this recording