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Duke University
Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics
Christine O’Connell
Math in the Universe- 89S
Hubert Bray
25 April 2016
Introduction to consciousness
The foundation of consciousness lies in foundation and perception. Thus, it gives us the
ability to understand the world around us as well as interact and respond to it. Many people have
thought that consciousness can be computable. Desiring to know whether or not computers have
the capabilities to do everything that humans do, Roger Penrose, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor
of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute of University of Oxford, studied consciousness.
Computers function on the premises that every input has one output. If brain activity
corresponds to this, it would mean that our intelligence could be easily coded into a robot. The
argument that consciousness is a result of computer-like activities inside the brain involves the
idea that high-frequency oscillations of neural circuits inside the thalamus and cerebral cortex
produce consciousness. Furthermore, this argument suggests that billions of neurons inside the
brain communicate with one another like bits and switches in a computer. However, while this
theory explores the cause of consciousness, it fails to explain how this process creates thoughts
and feelings, which is the fundamental differences between humans and computers. Computers
can complete thousands of computations at a rapid pace, but only humans can understand how
and why they are doing this.i
In order for consciousness to be a computable phenomenon, computers would be able to
beat the Turing Test. This test involves three rooms: one room has a judge, another has a
computer, and the other has a human. The judge has to decide which room the human is in while
the computer tries to trick the judge into believing that it is a human. Computers would be
proven to have the same intelligence as humans if the judge chose the computer as the human
over 50% of the time. However, this has not yet happened. With today’s technology, if
consciousness is a computable function, then the Turing Test should have already been able to
trick the judge.ii
Hypothesizing the relationship between quantum mechanics and consciousness
Realizing that consciousness cannot be computed, Roger Penrose hypothesized that
quantum mechanics may be able to explain consciousness. Penrose believed that consciousness
obeyed the laws of science. However, these laws are not fully understood by scientists because
consciousness is needed in order to understand them. Quantum mechanics was proposed to help
explain consciousness because it is the area that exposes gaps within the laws of physics. These
gaps relate to Schrödinger’s equation and observed measurement.iii Schrödinger’s equation is a
linear equation that describes how a wave function evolves overtime. It allows one to measure
, which gives all possible positions of a particle (x,y,z) at time t. Furthermore, it
does not give the exact location of the particle. The square of the absolute value of the wave
function will give the probability that a particle will be found at location (x,y,z) at time t. This is
conflict with measurement. When an object is measured, an object is only in one state instead of
all possible states. It was proposed that particles exist in all states until they are observed and the
particle collapses to one state. However, Schrödinger realized that this fundamentally did not
make sense. He came up with the thought experiment Schrödinger’s cat to prove it. If matter
exists in all states until observed, then a cat in a sealed chamber with hydrocyanic acid will be
both dead and alive until the cat is seen by the conscious mind. Clearly, a cat cannot be both
dead and alive, so Schrödinger’s cat showed the contradictions in quantum mechanics.iv
Critics of the relationship between quantum mechanics and consciousness
As suggested above, Roger Penrose predicted that the consciousness could help us
understand the paradox within quantum mechanics. He argued that consciousness occurs in
biological systems, which possess macroscopic quantum states, and thus can be described by
quantum mechanics. However, it was believed that quantum mechanics at the macroscopic level
required isolated systems as well as conditions around zero degrees Kelvin. Einstein showed
that at extremely low temperatures, bosonic atoms would combine into a shared quantum state of
the lowest possible energy. Furthermore, when quantum computers are built in a laboratory, it is
done at zero degrees Kelvin. As a result, many argued neurons inside of the brain are too wet
and warm for quantum states.
Quantum superposition collapses to a single classical state during environmental
decoherence. Environmental decoherence occurs when a system interacts with its environment,
and the quantum state reduces to a random classical state based on a deterministic function: the
wave function of the Universe. However, Penrose belived that consciousness is neither
deterministic nor random.
Despite the fact that many criticized Penrose’s approach for being wrong because the
brain did not seem to have the right environment to allow for quantum mechanics, Penrose
continued studying quantum mechanics as the mechanism for consciousness. However, he
modified his approach in order to avoid environmental decoherence.
Quantum superposition during consciousness
In order for consciousness to align with quantum mechanics, it must occur in isolated
systems and avoid environmental decoherence. Penrose stated that quantum systems in isolated
systems will also reduce. Like I stated above, quantum mechanics allows for quantum
superposition in which a particle exists in all possible states at once, known as the superposition
of states. Since general relativity states that matter curves space-time, quantum superposition
(the displacement of mass) curves space-time in all directions, resulting in unstable ‘bubbles’.
Theses bubbles are very unstable and instantaneously collapse. The figure below shows this
phenomenon in a protein:v
When these quantum states collapse, they produce a proto-conscious moment. They are
too small to produce consciousness on their own, but the organization of multiple collapses of
quantum states produce consciousness. Penrose’s theory is known as orchestrated objected
reduction (Orch-OR). This is because the quantum states objectively or automatically reduces
once “a critical objective degree of separation” of spacetime has been reached. In other words,
there is a rate in which the superposition of a particle spontaneously becomes one state or
another. This rate is related to the uncertainty principle:
Thus, this explains the paradox of quantum mechanics and why particles can exist in
multiple states, but are measured in one.vi
Neurophysiology suggest that conscious OR events in the brain occur between 10 to 500
ms. Using this information and the uncertainty principle, it was discovered that consciousness
occurs by a few nanograms of superposed mass.v
The biological mechanism for consciousness
Roger Penrose published his findings in his book The Emperor’s New Mind. However,
he did not know where in the brain this could take place. As stated earlier consciousness needs
to take place in an isolated environment with a mass of only a few nanograms. Additionally, the
biological mechanism would have to be able to organize the proto-conscious moments to
produce consciousness. Stuart Hameroff, an anesthesiologist and professor at the University of
Arizona, read Penrose’s book, and he proposed that microtubules inside of neurons, which make
up the skeleton structure of neurons as well as process information could be the answer.iii
Tubulin proteins makeup microtubules. Proteins are important because it has been
proposed that they use quantum superposition (quibts) to determine their conformational states
(bits). This superposition occurs due to the van der Waals interactions in hydrophobic pockets of
tubulins. In order to understand the process of superoposition of proteins, quibts and bits must
be understood. A bit is “the basical unit of information in computing and digital
communications.” A bit can exist in the state of either 0 or 1. A light switch can be used to
represent this idea. It can either be turned off, which is like state 0 or it can be turned on, which
is like state 1. However, there is no in between. A quibt is different because it can exist in both
in state 0 as well as state 1. If there are two quibts they can exist in four possible states ie. 00,
01, 10, and 11. The image below shows this process with three tubulin states:vii
The reduction of tubulins eventually leads to a conscious event. In order for this to
happen, the tubulin must be in a coherent superposition such that “a critical objective degree of
separation” has been met to allow for objective reduction. This event acts in isolation because
during quantum superposition, actin gelatin and a condensed charge particle phase surrounds the
microtubules. The process of consciousness is shown below:v
The time for a conscious event is dependent on the number of tubulins involved. It
relates back to the equation E = h/T. For example, a 25ms processing time would require the
involvement of 2X10 ^9 tubulins. Within each brain neuron, there are 10^7 tubulins, so
thousands of neurons are required for each conscious event. Furthermore, not every tubulin
inside of a neuron undergoes superposition to create the conscious event.v
Applications of consciousness
Objective reduction can be applied to cognitive functions. For example, it can occur with
face recognition. During the preconscious processing, a person’s face will superimpose into
many different possibilities of people. After the threshold for objective reduction has been
reached, consciousness will occur such that the identity of a person can be recognized.
Furthermore, objective reduction can be used in preconscious process of decision making. For
example, if someone is deciding what to eat for dinner, all of the possibilities exist in a
superimposed state, and at the moment of consciousness, it collapses to one choice.v
Anesthesia turns off consciousness. As mentioned earlier, quantum mechanics inside
microtubules works due to the van der Waals interactions in hydrophobic pockets of the tubulins.
Anesthetics bind also bind to these hydrophobic pockets through van der Waals forces.
Scientists Franks and Lieb suggested that their presence prevents conformational switching of
the proteins, and thus prevents consciousness. However, it is currently believed that anesthetics
prevents electron mobility due their attractions to the hydrophobic pockets, and since quantum
mechanics requires electron mobility, the process that allows for consciousness cannot occur.vi
Origins of consciousness
Penrose and Hameroff have used objective OR to explain how consciousness arises.
However, it does not explain subjective experiences such as feelings. This can be discussed by
looking at the origins of consciousness. Today there are three basic theories about the origin of
consciousness. Up until now, theory number one has been most widely accepted. This theory
states that consciousness is an evolutionary process that eventually allowed for complex
computational processes among neurons inside of the brain which resulted in awareness.
Furthermore, it is in conjunction with epiphenomenalism, which involves the principle that
consciousness is the response to physical processes inside of the body. For example, if
someone’s heart is beating fast, a person’s consciousness interprets this as fear. However, the
problem with this principle is that consciousness plays an insignificant role because it occurs too
late. The second theory about consciousness involves the idea that consciousness is separate
from the physical world. This theory allows for a God who has created consciousness. Since it
does not involve science, and nobody can know the capabilities of God, this theory has not been
studied as much as the others. Finally, the third theory of consciousness revolves around the idea
that consciousness has always existed in the universe, and that evolution has occurred such that
there can be a connection with the conscious of the universe.viii
Whitehead was a philosopher who agreed with the idea that consciousness has always
existed in the universe. He stated that feelings occur due to receptions of protoconcious
experiences in the universe.ix Penrose tried to understand how the universe can contain
protoconcious experiences. He proposed a spin network in order to describe the geometry of
space. These spin networks contain all of the information in the universe, and they encode
patterns onto microtubules. Therefore, the structures in the brain are influenced by the geometry
of space.x The structure of spin-networks is shown below: v
Validation of Orch-Or mechanism
Quantum mechanics has been found in nature. Biological systems use quantum
mechanics in order to undergo photosynthesis. Light strikes the surface of leaves, and the plants
absorb the red photons from the light. During photosynthesis, photon have to travel through the
plant in order to reach the reaction center where the photon is converted into stored energy. This
electron experiences quantum superposition because this photon has to enter reaction center very
quickly before the structures inside of the leaf absorb the energy of the photon. Quantum
superposition allows the photon to be in multiple states such that it can find the pathway to travel
to the reaction center the fastest.xi Furthermore, evidence suggests that some birds including the
European Robin use quantum mechanics in order to fly south. When light hits the retina of the
bird, the energy splits the electrons apart, but the two electrons remain correlated to each other
through quantum entanglement. Depending on the orientation of the bird with respect to the
magnetic field of the earth, the electrons can recombine into their molecular orbital. This sends a
signal to the bird’s brain, which lets the bird know that way is south.xii These two uses of
quantum mechanics provide further evidence that our brains incorporate quantum mechanics. It
confirms the idea that quantum mechanics can occur in warmer environments than zero degrees
Kelvin. Furthermore, it suggests that birds can see the quantum mechanics in nature. In 2009,
experiments inside the brain further confirmed that Orch-OR is the most likely mechanism for
consciousness. Nanoprobes were put inside of active neurons, and quantum resonances were
measured in microtubules within neurons.
In conclusion, quantum mechanics has allowed for the most successful explanation on
consciousness in the mind. Originally there was a lot of speculation because neurons were
considered to moist and hot to allow for quantum mechanics. However, further testing has been
done to suggest that microtubules can indeed act as quantum computers. They house the proteins
that undergo superposition in order to form a conscious moment. While proto conscious
moments occur all around the universe, humans’ consciousness derives from the ability to
organize these moments.
i
2045ru. "Sir Roger Penrose - The Quantum Nature of Consciousness."YouTube. YouTube, 04
Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
ii
"Artificial Intelligence | The Turing Test." Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
iii
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Hameroff." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
iv
"Schrödinger's Equation - What Is It?" Plus.maths.org. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
v
Hameroff, Suart. Quantum Computation in Brain Microtubules. The Royal Society, 6 Mar.
2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
vi
"Uncertainty Principle." Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/21st_century_science/lectures/lec14.html>.
vii
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2016.
vi
Hameroff, Stuart. "Anesthesia, Consciousness and Hydrophobic Pockets—a Unitary Quantum
Hypothesis of Anesthetic Action." Toxicology Letters100-101 (1998): 31-39. Web. 23
Apr. 2016.
viii
Hameroff, Stuart, and Roger Penrose. "Consciousness in the Universe: A Review of the ‘Orch
OR’ Theory." ScienceDirect. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
ix
"Philosophy of Consciousness." Planetary Philosophy. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
x
Http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGHh3d_tkf8i2ULhs409vYw. "Quantum Consciousness
ORCH-OR." YouTube. YouTube, 20 June 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
xi
The Magical Leaf: The Quantum Mechanics of Photosynthesis. Youtube, 7 Apr. 2015. Web. 23
Apr. 2016.
xii
UNSWelearning. "Entanglement: The Quantum Around You. Ep 2." YouTube. YouTube, 26
Aug. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.