Integrated information theory proposes that consciousness arises as a property of a physical system, its 'integrated information'. Integrated information is defined in such a way that it can be measured and quantified using mathematical equations
“Integrated information theory (IIT) is a proposed theoretical framework intended to understand and explain the nature of consciousness. It was developed by psychiatrist and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin–Madison”
Every single practical have some degree of consciousness, when some particles arranged by chemical communication, their consciousness are summed in one complex consciousness, and if some of these arranged compound found another way to be chemically connected an new more complex consciousness is developed, until we get to a complex structure like our brain.
Our brain have single consciousness, but if we divided or split it, we will have two consciousness. This known as “Split-brain”: two halves of the human brain were able to function independently and whether or not they had separate and unique abilities.
To integrate consciousness there MUST be a way to communicate between the entities.
Mound of termites have consciousness not in the brains of the termites but as a sum of all of termites, communicate by chemicals.
“The structure of these mounds can be quite complex. The temperature control is essential for those species that cultivate fungal gardens and even for those that do not; much effort and energy is spent maintaining the brood within a narrow temperature range, often only plus or minus 1° Celsius over a day.”
We can think of mound as one body and termites as cells, the mound have consciousness to be built at this complex way.
There experiment of Robot Controlled by Rat Brain Cells , A multidisciplinary team at the University of Reading has developed a robot which is controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons.
These cells developed some kind of consciousness, because they communicate with each other’s.
But these are only logical cells; I think it’s possible to develop a cells that uses emotions that can simulate emotions or feeling such as pain by chemical hormones and neurotransmitters.
When single cell evolved its consciousness found a way to store permanent important data on DNA, at that time consciousness aware of chemical compounds .
(Maybe by examine information stored on the junk DNA we can know how we used to think at that time)
Then when there was many cells, and the body become large, chemical communication become slow, so there is need for fast signaling in form of electric signals, we developed special signal cells :(Neuron) nerve cell, then comes the need for central unit, we developed reptilian brain, which own the consciousness for long time, and uses electric signal to make communications between cells and organs.
Till this time consciousness only deal with internal structure and environment, when it’s time to deal with other entity’s consciousness, things become very complicate.
Dealing with other consciousness is more complex unpredictable. There was need for complex system, we chemical system carried by mammalian brain when it was on consciousness state, at that time we developed ourselves using chemical to develop emotions that make us deal with others (socials). We know at that time how to make hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, oxytocin, cortisol and GABAs.
Then there was a need analysis and make decision, and we devolved our logical brain which in turn take the consciousness it was developed in way of to receive and analysis complex data, and find way to store it.
Evolution happen only on the in the state of consciousness, we are more evolved than the people 100 years ago in receiving and dealing a very big amount of data. What considered in the past collage’s studies now in elementary schools. And we still evolving, We have made ourselves with a degree of consciousness.
Please fix all the spelling and grammatical errors :)
Consciousness is a very mysterious and interesting field of study. Tons of theories and not enough good data at the moment, and certainly not good enough understanding (hence all the different theories). It will be exciting once we have a better handle on what consciousness is, how it is produced, maintained, enhanced and diminished.
Whatever the starting point was, there was definitely selective pressure towards consciousness and awareness. Two cells working together have more consciousness and awareness than each cell on their own, and this increase in these entities means higher survival rate.
It has been a while now, since we have shifted our focus away from the central dogma of biology (information flows from DNA to RNA to Protein to interact with environment). We now find ourselves paying much more attention to the cell membrane as the key interface between environment and the molecular machinery of life. Very good evidence out there that two cells working together have more computing power and awareness because of the increase in surface area/cell membrane, and NOT because of increased proteins/DNA/or anything WITHIN the cells themselves. This hypothesis combined with the evolutionary process, leads to more and more cells coming together etc etc with the common goal of increasing awareness...until you have complex beings like us, made up of trillions of cells.
Consciousness and awareness seem now seem to have been allocated to the brain/specialized neural networks/neurons in all "higher forms of life". It is interesting and worthwhile noting however, that single celled organisms do NOT have neurons or anything resembling a CNS (central nervous system), yet they can detect food, avoid predators, find mates, migrate in one direction preferentially over another, "learn" where food is and where it isn't and recollect that information.
There's a few theories that have looked at microtubles as the basic functional unit of consciousness /awareness/quantum computing at the molecular level. I think there is and will be more evidence in the future to support consciousness and awareness as quantum biological computations...the immediate roadblock or objection here is that of course, in the lab anything and everything "quantum" requires very cold temperatures and vacuums/isolated systems to preserve quantum coherence...biology is NOTHING like this! so how could quantum mechanics play a role or be useful in biology??...the clear objection to this line of reasoning is that all of chemistry is by default quantum. Every chemical bond in a molecule of DNA has to obey quantum mechanics, every peptide bond in every protein obeys quantum mechanics...the very first self replicating molecules or their precursors were by default quantum mechanical...life/evolution has had billions of years to figure out how to incorporate quantum mechanics into biology, and if there's a benefit to exploiting quantum mechanics to increase survival/fitness, you can bet that life will find a way to not only exploit that mechanism but to perfect it...sure we don't understand quantum mechanics, never mind quantum consciousness, sure we can't replicate the conditions under which life is theorized to utilize quantum mechanical effects...but that's just a function of our limitations, and we have had only a few decades at most to work this out...life has had BILLIONS of years to experiment and find what works...we're just playing catch up
Physicists were very happy with classical physics, it’s very neat, straightforward and predictable, yet cannot explain everything. So they been forced to deal with quantum. Now things same with biology everything is clear until you want explain for example how European robins navigate and you find that only Quantum entanglement can explain it.
“European robins may maintain quantum entanglement in their eyes a full 20 microseconds longer than the best laboratory systems, say physicists investigating how birds may use quantum effects to “see” Earth’s magnetic field.
Quantum entanglement is a state where electrons are spatially separated, but able to affect one another. It’s been proposed that birds’ eyes contain entanglement-based compasses”
Incredible. Very nice reading. Makes me wish I had studied sciences a bit more as a youth. I did poorly because I did not like rote memorization of the atomic tables, keeping track of all that Latin and the order, species, &c. method of classification, something I dislike in any case. I am the kind of person who has to plead guilty to simply trusting scientists. They tend to be in a bit better possession of the facts than ministers, priests, pastors, rabbis, imams, and so on.
If you are interested you can look up a course that interests you on coursera. The courses are free. You can see a list by going to coursera.org.