As a graduate student working at an intersection of electrical engineering and neuroscience, this book has given me a really good perspective and resonated with an issue I've felt as I've learned more about neuroscience. My lab focuses on studying and implementing neural circuits in silicon to solve robotics problems (e.g., navigation, obstacle avoidance, sonar). Because we implement analogs of these circuits in silicon, my knowledge of neuroscience is mostly at the single cell & microcircuit levels. A gaping hole of how low level phenomenon -- ion channel kinetics, dendritic morphology, etc. -- actually come together to form a functioning nervous system has always bothered me.
I could tell you how a transistor fits into the landscape of a processor, but I couldn't tell you the same about a single neuron. A theory of consciousness feels like the target we need to sew together the fragments of neuroscience. Shannon had the theory of Boolean logic when he figured out that you could implement such a theory with circuits. What's our theory?
I am embarrassingly broke right now; otherwise, I would've bought and read your new book already. However, I requested the book at my local public library last week. So I hope that goes through because I am eager to read it.
I really enjoyed this book, it was powerful stuff seeing a neuroscientist talk of scientific incompleteness. It's probably a good thing if that turns out to be true, as it seems like it could create a more romantic world if we all gave up on expecting science to have a monopoly on the truth, but there could be a double-edge to that if we collapse into dumb sentimentalism, like in the actual Romantic period (I saw the opera Carmen recently, and boy, I really hated it).
Wonderful to see your (tangible) book appearing in readers hands around the world! I enjoyed reading a review on Miller's Book Review and have added it to my reading list.
I’m halfway through and the book is excellent so far! The explicit split of intrinsic and extrinsic perspectives and their respective histories is really interesting.
However, it’s quite West focused. I was wondering if you thought about the development of the intrinsic perspective in the East? It seems like meditation in particular is a concerted effort to really deeply investigate the intrinsic perspective, in a way distinct from the investigation in literature. The deep phenomenology mapped out in Buddhist texts (for example the Visuddhimagga) seems significant for the development of the intrinsic perspective.
In general, I feel like there might be a lot to inform a theory of consciousness in investigating the phenomenology of extreme conscious states, eg in deep meditation or after taking psychedelics.
Anyway, I’ll keep reading and definitely have some more thoughts in the future! I’m especially interested in exploring the benefits and weaknesses of IIT!
Hi Erik. Just finished your book! Would love to have you on my podcast to promote it and discuss emergent causation in some depth, if you'd be interested. Let me know and we'll set something up. Cheers!
As a graduate student working at an intersection of electrical engineering and neuroscience, this book has given me a really good perspective and resonated with an issue I've felt as I've learned more about neuroscience. My lab focuses on studying and implementing neural circuits in silicon to solve robotics problems (e.g., navigation, obstacle avoidance, sonar). Because we implement analogs of these circuits in silicon, my knowledge of neuroscience is mostly at the single cell & microcircuit levels. A gaping hole of how low level phenomenon -- ion channel kinetics, dendritic morphology, etc. -- actually come together to form a functioning nervous system has always bothered me.
I could tell you how a transistor fits into the landscape of a processor, but I couldn't tell you the same about a single neuron. A theory of consciousness feels like the target we need to sew together the fragments of neuroscience. Shannon had the theory of Boolean logic when he figured out that you could implement such a theory with circuits. What's our theory?
I am embarrassingly broke right now; otherwise, I would've bought and read your new book already. However, I requested the book at my local public library last week. So I hope that goes through because I am eager to read it.
I'll rate it as soon as I finish reading it. The World Behind the World is in the front of my Kindle library. I look forward to it!
I really enjoyed this book, it was powerful stuff seeing a neuroscientist talk of scientific incompleteness. It's probably a good thing if that turns out to be true, as it seems like it could create a more romantic world if we all gave up on expecting science to have a monopoly on the truth, but there could be a double-edge to that if we collapse into dumb sentimentalism, like in the actual Romantic period (I saw the opera Carmen recently, and boy, I really hated it).
Your book Erik is popular in my community. I put a hold request on it at my local library and I am queued behind two others. Congratulations
Fifty pages in - interesting and informative. Gotta have a hard copy along with a #2 pencil!
Wonderful to see your (tangible) book appearing in readers hands around the world! I enjoyed reading a review on Miller's Book Review and have added it to my reading list.
All the best on your launch and future endeavors!
Just ordered my Kindle copy , and start reading. I'm enjoying.
I just ordered my copy!
All best for your launch.. a new beginning! World behind the world is a place that calls to me..
I’m in Split right now so had to double check that first picture wasn’t me 😂😂
True bicameralism in play
Just ordered mine last week
Love to hear that Rolando, thanks!
I’m halfway through and the book is excellent so far! The explicit split of intrinsic and extrinsic perspectives and their respective histories is really interesting.
However, it’s quite West focused. I was wondering if you thought about the development of the intrinsic perspective in the East? It seems like meditation in particular is a concerted effort to really deeply investigate the intrinsic perspective, in a way distinct from the investigation in literature. The deep phenomenology mapped out in Buddhist texts (for example the Visuddhimagga) seems significant for the development of the intrinsic perspective.
In general, I feel like there might be a lot to inform a theory of consciousness in investigating the phenomenology of extreme conscious states, eg in deep meditation or after taking psychedelics.
Anyway, I’ll keep reading and definitely have some more thoughts in the future! I’m especially interested in exploring the benefits and weaknesses of IIT!
Hi Erik. Just finished your book! Would love to have you on my podcast to promote it and discuss emergent causation in some depth, if you'd be interested. Let me know and we'll set something up. Cheers!
[WHEELHOUSE INTESIFIES]
Will certainly check this out - congrats on the publication!