The brain sets up simple hardware conditions which make consciousness a logical consequence of these conditions. The easiest way to see this is by looking at a neuron.
A neuron expends up to 90% of its ATP energy, maintaining a potential across the neuron's membrane. When neurons fire, via the synapses, the potential energy within the membrane lowers. The neuron will then expend ATP energy to reform the membrane potential via exchanging cations.
If you look at this situation in terms of energy and entropy, the rest state of the neuron, when it is not firing, defines its highest potential energy. The term rest state is sort of semantically misleading, since rest usually means lower energy. The rest state is actually the state of highest potential energy. While neuron firing lower this potential energy.
Since the rest state is at higher potential energy, as well as at lower entropy, compared to firing, the first two laws of physics, i.e., nature prefers lowest energy and highest energy, will naturally act upon the rest state of the neuron, trying to lower the energy and increase the entropy. One way to do this is neuron firing, which has a connection to consciousness.
Let me give an analogy to make the logic easier to see. Say we had an old wooden water tower that is full of water. The stored water has potential energy. The first two laws of physics says, nature prefers lower energy and higher entropy. One way to satisfy both conditions would be to spring a leak. This will lower energy (drain water) while also also increasing entropy, since a leaky tank now has more degrees of freedom compared to a static tank. If we wanted to lower energy and increase entropy further, all we would need to do is add more leaks.
Our sensory systems will induce cerebral neurons to fire. These systems are lowering energy and increasing entropy within the brain; a natural source of leaks. The ability of the human mind to think and for us to consciously fire particular neurons (trigger memory), means human consciousness is at lower energy potential than the rest brain. It is just another trick by the first two laws, to increase the leaks within the tank. Consciousness simply follows the push of the physical universe, against the unique situation that life is able to create within its organic structures; higher energy and lower entropy.
The cell membrane of any cell uses the same principle, to create the impression of its own version of awareness. The cell uses a lot of energy to form the higher potential energy in its own version of the rest membrane. Nature wishes to lower energy and increase entropy (more degrees of freedom). This is done, in part, with the diversity of leaks associated with transport. The cell then uses energy to increase the potential energy back.
Consciousness is connected to the first and second laws, making these laws more efficient in the light of the ever increasing efficiency of life to restore the potential energy within the neurons, rest neuron. The various paths between recovery and leaks will structure consciousness.
Computer memory works the opposite way, with the rest state of the semi-conductor at lower energy. We need to add energy; not take energy away to get the memory to work. That is why artificial intelligence tends to be more about software than hardware. Quantum computing is depending on the entropy increase of probability. Biological computers would simply use hardware that can sprout leaks, using the natural push to increase entropy and lower entropy, to fire neurons in changing synaptic configurations.
A neuron expends up to 90% of its ATP energy, maintaining a potential across the neuron's membrane. When neurons fire, via the synapses, the potential energy within the membrane lowers. The neuron will then expend ATP energy to reform the membrane potential via exchanging cations.
If you look at this situation in terms of energy and entropy, the rest state of the neuron, when it is not firing, defines its highest potential energy. The term rest state is sort of semantically misleading, since rest usually means lower energy. The rest state is actually the state of highest potential energy. While neuron firing lower this potential energy.
Since the rest state is at higher potential energy, as well as at lower entropy, compared to firing, the first two laws of physics, i.e., nature prefers lowest energy and highest energy, will naturally act upon the rest state of the neuron, trying to lower the energy and increase the entropy. One way to do this is neuron firing, which has a connection to consciousness.
Let me give an analogy to make the logic easier to see. Say we had an old wooden water tower that is full of water. The stored water has potential energy. The first two laws of physics says, nature prefers lower energy and higher entropy. One way to satisfy both conditions would be to spring a leak. This will lower energy (drain water) while also also increasing entropy, since a leaky tank now has more degrees of freedom compared to a static tank. If we wanted to lower energy and increase entropy further, all we would need to do is add more leaks.
Our sensory systems will induce cerebral neurons to fire. These systems are lowering energy and increasing entropy within the brain; a natural source of leaks. The ability of the human mind to think and for us to consciously fire particular neurons (trigger memory), means human consciousness is at lower energy potential than the rest brain. It is just another trick by the first two laws, to increase the leaks within the tank. Consciousness simply follows the push of the physical universe, against the unique situation that life is able to create within its organic structures; higher energy and lower entropy.
The cell membrane of any cell uses the same principle, to create the impression of its own version of awareness. The cell uses a lot of energy to form the higher potential energy in its own version of the rest membrane. Nature wishes to lower energy and increase entropy (more degrees of freedom). This is done, in part, with the diversity of leaks associated with transport. The cell then uses energy to increase the potential energy back.
Consciousness is connected to the first and second laws, making these laws more efficient in the light of the ever increasing efficiency of life to restore the potential energy within the neurons, rest neuron. The various paths between recovery and leaks will structure consciousness.
Computer memory works the opposite way, with the rest state of the semi-conductor at lower energy. We need to add energy; not take energy away to get the memory to work. That is why artificial intelligence tends to be more about software than hardware. Quantum computing is depending on the entropy increase of probability. Biological computers would simply use hardware that can sprout leaks, using the natural push to increase entropy and lower entropy, to fire neurons in changing synaptic configurations.