Podcast Launch
The goal of imperfect, but improving! has been to highlight the progress humanity has made, and publicize knowledge at the scientific frontier. With this podcast, I’m thrilled to leverage the expertise of researchers to build understanding of science and progress. My first guest is an excellent example, having written about consciousness for 20 years.
In this episode
Dr. Colin Hales began his career as an electrical engineer focused on industrial automation, before completing a PhD in the origins of brain electromagnetism.
His motivation was to begin realizing his ideas for a new kind of brain for machines that learn in the same way that natural fauna does. He has published a book on machine consciousness, and has more than a dozen other publications. Colin’s current research entails creating macroscopic prototypes to explore the basis for a new kind of chip technology.
This discussion covers the evolution of consciousness as a field of study, the distinction between the easy and hard problems of consciousness, and the challenges of explaining consciousness through current scientific paradigms. Dr. Hales emphasizes the importance of electromagnetic fields in brain function and argues against the notion that information processing alone can lead to consciousness.
Resources:
Dr. Hales’ publications
Dr. Hales’ 2023 paper on how EM-fields bridge the explanatory gap
Dr. Hales’ book, The Revolutions of Scientific Structure
Richard Feynman’s Cargo Cult Science speech
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