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Here’s a taste of what we’re serving today:
Consciousness = a THEATRE?! 🧠
PLUS: Effective Altruism, History of Spices, and Self-driving cars 🚕
PSYCHOLOGY
Consciousness = a THEATRE?! 🧠
The concept of consciousness has been puzzling philosophers, psychologists (and everyone in between) for centuries. What is it? How does it arise? And what is its relationship to the physical brain?
In this scoop, we’re going to explore a theory of consciousness called the global workspace theory. This theory proposes that consciousness is a form of information processing. It occurs when sensory data for an experience go to a ‘global workspace’ and are distributed to other ‘brain centres’. It is this broadcast of data to other centres that constitutes consciousness.
My brain whenever I need to have thoughts
Academics often use the analogy of a stage on a theatre. We can depict conscious content as resembling the part of the stage that is lit up by a spotlight. When a certain part of the stage is lit up (i.e. when sensory input, memories, or internal representations are given attention), the rest of the stage is ‘in the dark’ (i.e. unconscious).
💡 Things to consider
The evidence for the global workspace theory: The global workspace theory is supported by a number of lines of evidence, including neuroimaging studies that have shown that different brain regions are activated when we are conscious of something. For example, when we see a face, our visual cortex, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex are all activated. Therefore, we could say that our spotlight is only shining on these areas. This spotlight, thought to represent consciousness, enables the coordination of different brain areas, leading to global activation.
Global activation time
The limitations of the global workspace theory: The global workspace theory does not explain all aspects of consciousness. For example, it does not explain how we are able to experience qualia, which are the subjective qualities of our conscious experiences, such as the feeling of redness or the taste of sweetness. Do you think this is more of a psychological question, or a philosophical question?
The ethical implications of the global workspace theory: A number of ethical implications arise with the global workspace theory. For instance, if consciousness is simply a product of the physical brain, then it raises the question of whether or not animals are conscious. What do you think our theory would say about that? And, does it mean we should treat animals in a certain way given our conclusion? It also raises the question of whether or not artificial intelligence could ever become conscious. If so, would it be conscious in the same way?
🔎 Find out more
Baars, B. J. (1988). A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness. Cambridge University Press.
Owen, A. (2017). Into the gray zone: a neuroscientist explores the border between life and death.
🍒 The cherry on top
💸 Effective Altruism: If you're lucky enough to live without want, it's a natural impulse to help others in need. But, asks philosopher Peter Singer, what's the most effective way to give charitably? He talks through some surprising thought experiments to help you balance emotion and practicality — and make the biggest impact with whatever you can share. An interesting TED talk if you’re into Philosophy or Politics.
🌶️ History of Spices: Pepper, cumin, nutmeg… we all know what spices are. Although we take them for granted now, they have an interesting and fascinating history. In this podcast episode, explore the very earliest days of the spice trade within Asia, through to the empires of Alexander the Great and Rome as spices made their way into Europe, and discover how they shaped empires. A must-listen if you’re interested in History!
🚕 Self-driving cars: We’re seeing more and more self-driving cars on the road. But, how do they actuallywork? This 1440 page has dozens of great resources (including articles, YouTube videos, and podcasts) about autonomous vehicles, how they work, and what their future holds. A great site if you like Engineering!
👀 Keep your eyes peeled for…
Wednesday 4th March
Thursday 5th March
Monday 9nd March
🗳️ Poll
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That’s it for this week! We’d like to thank this week’s writers: Sofie Proctor and Gabriel Pang.
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