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From: vlsi_lib@netcom.com (Gerard Malecki)
Subject: Re: John Mc Carthy's request re: Penrose (mechanisms for consciousness)
Message-ID: <vlsi_libCyrMs2.4DE@netcom.com>
Followup-To: shankar@vlibs.com
Organization: VLSI Libraries Incorporated
References: <397hb5$7hp@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> <CyrG6B.E75@park.uvsc.edu> <39eaev$huh@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 1994 23:04:50 GMT
Lines: 36
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.physics:98961 sci.skeptic:94191 sci.psychology:29015 comp.ai.philosophy:21677 sci.bio:22866 sci.philosophy.meta:14543

In article <39eaev$huh@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> sarfatti@ix.netcom.com (Jack Sarfatti) writes:
>In <CyrG6B.E75@park.uvsc.edu> hbiesel@uvsc.edu (Visitor) writes: 
>
>
>>
>>How much of the sketched interaction between anaesthetic molecules
>>and the tubulins is based on solid, replicated biochemistry, and how 
>>much is still conjectural? Is it the case that every anaesthetic acts 
>>by the suggested mechanism?
>>
>>Yours,
>>         H.B.
>>
>
>I believe it is well founded experimentally. The Hameroff-Penrose theory 
>requires that it is a universal mechanism - i.e. "YES" to your question. 
>So their theory is testable. I have forwarded your question to Hameroff 
>who is an MD anaesthesiologist at Univ Arizona.

Does the same model apply to carbon monoxide poisoning or even plain
asphyxiation? What about hallucinogens like LSD? As far as the latter
is concerned, I remember reading somewhere that it interferes with
neurotransmitters. No quantum scale effects were attributed.

If electron-scale effects are indeed responsible for consciousness,
getting an X-Ray, MRI, CAT or PET scan of one's head should cause
at least a temporary disturbance in one's behavior. However the subject
doesn't even perceive the powerful fields that pass through his or 
her head during the scan. 

In my opinion, quantum effects in the brain have the same significance
as thermal noise in digital circuits.

Shankar Ramakrishnan
shankar@vlibs.com

