Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Truth (frags)', 'Making Things Happen' and 'Could a computer ever understand?'

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2 ideas

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations

14367	An explanation is a causal graph [Woodward,J, by Strevens]
	Full Idea: On Woodward's manipulationist view, an explanation would take the form of a causal graph.
	From: report of James Woodward (Making Things Happen [2003]) by Michael Strevens - No Understanding without Explanation 1
	A reaction: The idea is that causation is all to do with how nature responds when you try to manipulate it. I'm certainly in favour of tying explanation closely to causation.

15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / e. Cause of consciousness

4921	Quantum states in microtubules could bind brain activity to produce consciousness [Penrose]
	Full Idea: I propose that microtubules in nerve cells could give rise to a stable quantum state that would bind the activity of brain cells throughout the cerebrum and in doing so give rise to consciousness.
	From: Roger Penrose (Could a computer ever understand? [1998], p.329)
	A reaction: This seems to offer a physical theory to account for the 'unity' of the mind (which so impressed Descartes), but I don't quite see why being aware of things would ensue from some 'quantum binding'. I daresay 'quantum binding' occurs in the Sun.