Podcast
Questions and Answers
What does Dennett claim about the brain's processing system?
What does Dennett claim about the brain's processing system?
- It must rely on a singular consciousness to operate.
- It functions as a parallel, distributed processing system. (correct)
- It operates entirely independently without communication.
- It has a central control unit for decision-making.
How does the weight of the human brain compare to that of other great apes?
How does the weight of the human brain compare to that of other great apes?
- About three times larger than expected for its relatives. (correct)
- Much smaller than other great apes.
- About the same weight as an average human heart.
- Very similar in size to other great apes.
What is the primary role of the cerebellum?
What is the primary role of the cerebellum?
- Processing sensory information.
- Controlling the sleep-wake cycle.
- Regulating fine movement control. (correct)
- Managing emotional responses.
What is the composition of the human brain?
What is the composition of the human brain?
Which part of the brain evolved most recently?
Which part of the brain evolved most recently?
What is a major challenge in studying consciousness?
What is a major challenge in studying consciousness?
Which of the following questions is raised in consciousness studies?
Which of the following questions is raised in consciousness studies?
What do scientists acknowledge about consciousness in the 21st century?
What do scientists acknowledge about consciousness in the 21st century?
What is one definition often associated with consciousness?
What is one definition often associated with consciousness?
Which statement best describes the state of consciousness studies historically?
Which statement best describes the state of consciousness studies historically?
What aspect of brain activity raises questions about consciousness?
What aspect of brain activity raises questions about consciousness?
What aspect of consciousness remains controversial?
What aspect of consciousness remains controversial?
What is the term for the subjective qualities of experience, such as color and smell?
What is the term for the subjective qualities of experience, such as color and smell?
What phrase did William James coin to describe the flow of conscious experience?
What phrase did William James coin to describe the flow of conscious experience?
Which philosopher challenges the concept of the Cartesian theatre in consciousness?
Which philosopher challenges the concept of the Cartesian theatre in consciousness?
What is 'the hard problem' in the study of consciousness?
What is 'the hard problem' in the study of consciousness?
Which analogy is commonly used to describe consciousness?
Which analogy is commonly used to describe consciousness?
What do philosophers who argue that qualia do not exist question?
What do philosophers who argue that qualia do not exist question?
What does the 'Theatre of the Mind' imply about consciousness?
What does the 'Theatre of the Mind' imply about consciousness?
What is a common misconception about where consciousness 'happens'?
What is a common misconception about where consciousness 'happens'?
What is NOT considered a characteristic of consciousness?
What is NOT considered a characteristic of consciousness?
Which statement best describes the relationship between objective brains and subjective experiences?
Which statement best describes the relationship between objective brains and subjective experiences?
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Study Notes
What is Consciousness?
- Consciousness is both the most obvious and difficult thing to study
- Consciousness studies is a thriving area of study, exploring the relationship between brain activity and consciousness
- The "hard problem" of consciousness asks how subjective experiences arise from objective brains
- There is no universally agreed upon definition of consciousness, but several common approaches exist
Describing Consciousness
- "What it's like to be..." - if there is something it is like to be for an animal, then that animal is conscious
- Subjectivity or Phenomenality - Consciousness is the way things seem to me, as opposed to how they are objectively.
- Qualia - The ineffable subjective qualities of experience, such as the redness of red, or the smell of turpentine
Theatre of the Mind
- The common conception of consciousness is a "theatre of the mind"
- Consciousness is experienced as a stream of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions
- This internal theatre metaphor is challenged by the argument that the brain is a parallel, distributed processing system with no central "audience"
- This raises the question of how the feeling of a unified self arises from a distributed brain
The Human Brain
- The human brain is incredibly complex, with about 100 billion neurons connected by trillions of synapses
- It is three times larger than it should be by comparison with other great apes
- The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system
- The cerebral cortex, the latest part of the brain to evolve, is divided into four lobes: occipital, temporal, parietal, and frontal
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