They call it “the irrational validity of mathematics.” Physicist Eugene Wigner has the fascinating ability to describe and predict all kinds of natural phenomena, from the movements of planets and the strange behavior of fundamental particles to the effects of the universe, simply by manipulating numbers. He coined the term in the 1960s to summarize the facts. A collision between two black holes billions of light years away. Some are now wondering whether mathematics succeeds where all else fails, figuring out what it is that allows us to ponder the laws of nature in the first place.
That’s a big question. The question of how matter creates felt experiences is one of the most vexing problems we know of. And sure enough, the first fleshed-out mathematical model of consciousness sparked a huge debate about whether it could tell us anything meaningful. But as mathematicians strive to hone and expand the tools for looking deep within themselves, they are faced with some surprising conclusions.
In particular, they make clear that if we are to achieve an accurate account of consciousness, we must abandon our intuitions and realize that all kinds of inanimate objects, perhaps the entire universe, can be conscious. It seems to suggest that we may need to accept it. “This could be the beginning of a scientific revolution,” he says. Johannes KleinerMathematician at the Munich Center for Mathematics and Philosophy in Germany.
If so, it’s been going on for a long time. Philosophers have wondered about the nature of consciousness for thousands of years, but to little avail. Then half a century ago, biologists got involved. they discovered…
Article amended on May 4, 2020Fix: The campus of the Norwegian Inland University of Applied Sciences, where Hedda Hassel-Morch is based, has been updated to change the attribution of research on the effects of sleep or sedation on Phi.
Source: www.newscientist.com
