Re: nervous systems and consciousness

> In the light of Allan's comments about "energetically driven dynamics", I
> would like to point out that VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLES are rather classic
> stuff. Santiago Ramsn y Cajal already produced one. Sigmund Freud also
> elaborated on an overall energy minimization principle. And (in the 70's)
> Horace Barlow too, rather extensively... They all were saying things pretty
> similar to Allan's. Interested parties may have a glance on my FIS 96
> presentation in Vienna --topological inventions of life. KENNETH PAUL
> COLLINS and myself have published a book, appeared in Spanish ("El cerebro
> dual"), that is centered in the exploration of one of these variational
> principles...

Will the FIS 96 presentation by in the BioSystems volume that is on the
way? Also I'll look through my World Futures issues for it. I would like
to know the earlier views on this..

> Anyhow, in spite of the above comments, I cannot help but feeling that the
> neuroscience discussion could not be the only --or the best-- way to
> approach consciousness. Do we need a more global, "transdisciplinary"
> discourse? I mean, instead of scientific "prose", perhaps we should attempt
> scientific "poetry"... or both.

This is what many people are trying to do.

Incidentally, what is the general opinion regarding the Penrose-Hammeroff,
etc., view of neuronal microtubules as forming quantum computers?

Allan Combs
Received on Fri May 15 17:11:52 1998