Consciousness is a mathematical pattern: Max Tegmark at TEDxCambridge 2014

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

[Wasteomindy]

I absolutely love the definition of consciousness as a "way information feels when it is being processed in certain complex ways".

[spy]

“Consciousness is simply the way information feels as it is being processed” - Max Tegmark

Wonderful

[gersonperez]

He is somehow explaining how conciousness can co exist with the physical world, without it having to be a "paralel" reality... amazing and revealing!

[onlywithbuts]

And funnily enough everything in the Universe is made off patterns. I totally love this! Shines more proof and that extra bit of knowledge that pushes as further and closer to being able to understand who we are and that we ain't just part of Universe, but Universe being us.

[crienospmoht]

I didn't kill that man you'r honor. I just rearranged his particles in an unfortunate pattern.

[WelcomeTheDamned]

I like this guy he has a nice pattern in him

[kleinbottled]

Once in a dream; I was asking this old man "So the pattern of energy is matter?" After a pause he responded, "No, but the pattern of energy matters" Silly words.

[primary]

This is the best explanation of consciousness which is nothing more than arrangement of information, particles or patterns. But we still have long way to go to actually understand the underlying principles of true consciousness and we probably never figure it out.

[jsj]

Max Tegmark: inspiring genius! Love how he explains complex topics in such an easy and effortless manner

[antonioramundo]

I’m reading his book “Life 3.0”, intriguing concepts and views over how our future might be thanks, or because of, artificial intelligence. Just amazing!

[dennistucker]

Max, I think you are brilliant! I'm a computer programmer. I think consciousness is an algorithm that our brains use all the time. I think it is akin to the main executive loop of a computer program. This processing loop always try's to resolve 2 main questions. 1) What is going on? 2) What should I do? This process is always repeating even while we sleep.

[pillettadoinswartsh]

Consciousness doesn't "go away" when you sleep. Deep sleep isn't the absence of consciousness, but the consciousness of absence.

How else would we know what woke us up OUT of deep sleep, unless we were conscious when we were IN deep sleep?

Pure consciousness is what witnesses our waking state, dream state, and deep-sleep state. It never goes away.

[arlieferguson]

Probably the best lecture I've ever seen him give

[maximilianokoweindl]

Ive watch this lecture like 5 times and im still learning. Amazing. Thanks TED.

[martin]

When you go to sleep consciousness doesn't "go away" this is shown by the fact that when you wake up you might remember some of your dreams & the fact that you was aware during that dream otherwise you couldn't forget a dream Also lucid dreaming shows that consciousness is maintained during dreaming. This is the classic mistake of confusing the contents of consciousness with consciousness itself! I would expect more from a genius of the level of Tegmark.

[jp-jbbw]

Back in 1986, swami chinmayananda said' A human is matter groomed to consciousness'. I was mesmerised by this statement extrapolated from the upanishads and still am.
Many thanks to Max for this enlightening talk.

[annettekelly]

Intriguing talk. I think it comes back to the chicken and egg scenario. No matter how much we try to figure out consciousness, we can only do so when we're in a conscience 'awake' state - otherwise we really can't judge!
Once more I find myself wishing to sit down and really discuss these things in much deeper detail. Sharing opinions expressing thoughts!
All in all, a pleasant talk! Thank you!

[mrdian]

What an elegant, well articulated, rational explanation of consciousness.

[LIQUIDSNAKEz]

The hard problem is this, HOW does SUBJECTIVITY arise out of matter? When we study and map out the brain, or (anything for that matter) all we are really looking at is structure and the behavior of structure. But we have no idea how structure, OR the complexity of structure, OR the behavior of complex structures give rise to subjective experience.

Sure we can manipulate experiences by manipulating the structure and behavior of the brain, BUT that says NOTHING about HOW subjectivity actually arises from the brain. Unless we somehow assume that all energy has some subjective component that is simply complexified by the structure of the brain.

[PersonalSpiritualDevelopment]

The time is coming to understand and bring all together
👏👏👏