Anirban Bandyopadhyay - Can Consciousness Be Non-Biological?

If consciousness is 100% physical, we would have to conclude that the same kind of consciousness that we experience as humans can be generated by non-biological entities (eventually). Conversely, if non-biological consciousness would somehow, someday, prove impossible, then consciousness would have to embed some nonphysical aspect. But how would we ever know?

Anirban Bandyopadhyay is a Senior Scientist in the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan. He possesses a Masters of Science in Condensed Matter Physics, Computer, Numerical Analysis, and Astrophysics from North Bengal University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from Jadavpur University.

Closer to Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[tcl]

It’s nice to hear novel ideas about consciousness from scientists whose ego’s aren’t more important than trying to get at whatever the truth turns out to be.

[cursedtodie]

I was comatose with the right hemisphere of my brain dead for 21 days. During this time I had a vision where I lived my best life. This vision lasted 11 months. Consciousness is non-biological, I proved it.

[CarlosElio]

I love the very end of the video. It is too clever to be intentional: a reification of awareness. There we see RLK regaining awareness of where he is.

[bretnetherton]

Awareness is known by awareness alone.

[OfficialGOD]

Exactly, any-thing that has consciousness becomes creation/existence itself, and it won't be artificial. 🤝 We might probably create a futuristic/highly advanced form where the consciousness can enter as the entity. I'll have to come back probably in the next 1000 years.

[santhoshjayakaran]

Such an intense proposition yet so clear and humble to state that it's never close to being a Theory of consciousness cos of many more layers of mysterious questions related to consciousness yet to be unraveled. Lovely conversation with this scientist. Thanks for sharing

[uweburkart]

I like this guy as he is so frank and modest to say that he cannot explain the ominous "consciousness" as long even the definition is not clear and we first have to solve the questions about what is a thought, what is memory really, how do we describe "qualia" etc. I like that he seems from Indian origin and probably he knows about the vast and overwhelming knowledge and wisdom his ancestors with the vedic culture (some call it religion but that's too reductionistic) and therefore is very reluctant to refer solely to materialistic explanations and concepts, although he seems to think really that other lifeforms together with "lifeforces" are possible, assuming that life could be based on silicon instead of carbon and their chemistry...
I am surprised that he gets a mention here in this as he rejects to say anything about the topic at all. But he is right by rejecting the far to quick reply and easy going reductions that many others in this channel are offering, especially the physicists views. Those are by nature reductions!
The world (cosmos, universe, life, etc.) cannot be answered by the natural sciences in general, as they all subscribe to the galilean exclusion ( not pondering about not measurable things). The holistic approach has to include even that what some call magic- real magic - that exists! Otherwise we do not get further on!

[nyworker]

When analyzing anything, getting the proper order is the first principle. On the other hand keeping an open mind is also important or being careful not to discard things that will lead you into a cul d sac.

[gerardjones]

He's talking about the gamma synchrony that is present when we are conscious, when it falls below 40mkz the awareness is lost. If you have surgery you may notice when you get gas your consciousness doesn't slowly fade, it suddenly drops out.

[quakers]

Everything vibrates therefore consciousness.

[chicojcf]

"rhythms, wherever you find them", they're inescapable.

[fabiocaetanofigueiredo]

Physician here. Biological and non-biological are arbitrary definitions. Everything is a spectrum.

[shalito_boy]

we all wished consciousness was non biological, but I tend to think it is, what is magical is life itself, our oneself is irrelevant because we keep living through our descents and our ancestors are part of us, our consciousness just may seem to be a way for our body to survive, just look at people with mental illnesses, their state of consciousness is altered, it is weird anyway, we'll get an answer one day for sure, consciously or unconsciously

[thesoundsmith]

"...a chain of vibration connecting everything... Yess! I do not know this gentleman, but I will be looking MUCH deeper, he is expressing precisely my view of foundational physics as best I can understand. FWIW, this is the vector that seems to be fruitful, nothing I have seen indicates any better hypothesis is available. Consciousness is a mathematical function, thus should be mappable.

[mveletic]

Wow! I'm so impressed not only with the clarity of his very original thinking, but also with the respect he shows for science and scientific methods. Thank you so much Mr. Bandyopadhyay.

[VeganWithAraygun]

I wish Adi Shankara and Walt Whitman were there chiming in.

[artwatch-yj]

Dr. Anirban explains very clearly and thoughfully.

[ApurvaSukant]

Though this topic has been muddled for hundreds of years, it can still be stated with certainty that discussing the advancements on this topic is beautiful and pleasurable.
As if one is engaging in the most meaningful act humanely possible.

[taonow]

What is your definition of consciousness? Mine is like what Don Hoffman says - it’s awareness, open wide, in any and many vibrations
I think we exist in many vibrational realities - this vibration is considerably slow- our thoughts are vibrating a bit faster

But this reality is based on our ability to create it - that’s it
We’re doing this

The illusion is real like Don Hoffman says but it’s a fitness based reality that relies on a human structure through consciousness to produce a measurement or observation that almost simultaneously creates matter and our world and universe

Great talk
Like Tesla said: ….think about this as energy and vibration

[russellbarndt]

As I listen to many of these conversations about the consciousness and concepts in Physics and I end up seeing the word Taoism and the idea that everything is part of so maybe even we are looking at the consciousness differently and a consciousness is not a singular entity and is merely a part of a life that use conscious beings as part of its own conceptual process in its(Our) existence.... Just an open thought....