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From: pnorton@beaux.atwc.teradyne.com (Peter Norton)
Subject: Re: John Mc Carthy's request re: Penrose (mechanisms for consciousness)
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References: <393aap$35q@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> <1994Oct31.133925@west.cscwc.pima.edu> <397hb5$7hp@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 01:40:09 GMT
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Just to interject some irrelevance:

Heard a lecture by Stuart Hamerhoff (sp?) last month at UCSF Medical College
(sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute) on his microtubule/QM/consciousness
theory.  I must say that IMHO there is the definite aroma of 'new science'
percolating up from the old compost heap of suggestive hints and allusions.

One interesting tidbit that struck me is the ballparking of the requisite
bitrate to simulate consciousness.  Which goes something like (dont quote me):

10^17 bits/sec  - classical estimate based on neurons/dendrites/firing rates.

10^21 bits/sec  - adding the contribution of microtubule activity/structure

10^??? bits/sec - adding the 'quantum parallelism' of the microtubule behavior

Which throws a bit of a monkey ranch into the old projection for the
feasibility of a Deutsch-o-puter by ca. 2020, maybe?

It seems to say, that what would be simulated with a 10^17 bits/sec processor
would be equivalent to the autonomic nervous system, i.e. unconscious?


Cheers

