Consciousness
The Strange and Beautiful Science of Our Lives
Nell Greenfieldboyce discusses her new book Transient and Strange, the intimacy of the essays and the science that inspired them.
Consciousness38 articles archived since 1845
Consciousness
Understanding Consciousness Goes Beyond Exploring Brain Chemistry
We can account for the evolution of consciousness only if we crack the philosophy, as well as the physics, of the brain
Consciousness
Is Consciousness Part of the Fabric of the Universe?
A theory called panpsychism proposes that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of reality
Consciousness
Prominent Consciousness Theory Is Slammed as Bogus Science
Researchers publicly call out theory that they say is not well supported by science, but that gets undue attention
Consciousness
Some Patients Who ‘Died’ but Survived Report Lucid ‘Near-Death Experiences,’ a New Study Shows
In some cardiac arrest patients, a flurry of brain activity during life-saving CPR may be a sign of a “near-death experience”
Consciousness
What Does It ‘Feel’ Like to Be a Chatbot?
Generative AI has made giant strides toward machine intelligence. Can machine consciousness be far behind?
Consciousness
If AI Becomes Conscious, Here’s How We Can Tell
A checklist derived from six neuroscience-based theories of consciousness could help assess whether an artificial intelligence system achieves this state
Consciousness
A 25-Year-Old Bet about Consciousness Has Finally Been Settled
A brain scientist and a philosopher have resolved a wager on consciousness that was made when Bill Clinton was president
Consciousness
Why Dying People Often Experience a Burst of Lucidity
New research shows surprising activity levels in dying brains and may help explain the sudden clarity many people with dementia experience near death
Consciousness
Surges of Activity in the Dying Human Brain Could Hint at Fleeting Conscious Experiences
An increase in activity in dying brains might be associated with last-minute conscious experiences, but scientists don’t know for sure
Animals
How Scientists Are Using AI to Talk to Animals
Portable sensors and artificial intelligence are helping researchers decode animal communication—and begin to talk back to nonhumans
Consciousness
Free Will Is Only an Illusion if You Are, Too
New research findings, combined with philosophy, suggest free will is real but may not operate in the ways people expect
Consciousness
This Year’s Most Thought-Provoking Brain Discoveries
Neural circuits that label experiences as “good” or “bad” and the emotional meaninglessness of facial expressions are some standouts among 2022’s mind and brain breakthroughs...
Neuroscience
See the Top Entries in the Art of Neuroscience Competition
Van Gogh and Ramón y Cajal, like you’ve never seen them before, in the annual Art of Neuroscience Competition
Artificial Intelligence
Google Engineer Claims AI Chatbot Is Sentient: Why That Matters
Is it possible for an artificial intelligence to be sentient?
Consciousness
We Shouldn’t Try to Make Conscious Software—Until We Should
Eventually, the most ethical option might be to divert all resources toward building very happy machines
Consciousness
Astonishing Conscious Mind
Neuroscientists may have discovered the brain regions that give rise to our identity
Consciousness
Death, Physics and Wishful Thinking
Fear of mortality might underlie physicists’ fondness for the anthropic principle, multiverses, superdeterminism and other shaky ideas
Behavior
What God, Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness Have in Common
Theories that try to explain these big metaphysical mysteries fall short, making agnosticism the only sensible stance
Cognition
Hypnosis Experts Cast Doubt on Famous Psychological Experiments
Suggestibility may explain why people “feel” vicarious pain or sensation in a fake hand
