Where does consciousness come from? Shutterstock/3Dsculptor
Supporters and detractors of a leading theory of how consciousness arises are stuck in an increasingly bitter debate. Opponents suggest that integrated information theory (IIT), which claims that consciousness can be defined on a mathematical spectrum, is pseudoscience that could be misused to influence sensitive debates around abortion and the sentience of artificial intelligences – while supporters say the detractors are just jealous.
ÒÁÈ˾þÃs have long sought to explain how the brain gives rise to conscious experience, but two prominent ideas have recently come to the fore: IIT and global neuronal workspace theory (GNWT).…
