Born to Do Math 185 – Mathematicization of Consciousness
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner
Publication (Outlet/Website): Born To Do Math
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/09/15
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Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is meant by mathematicization of consciousness in IC?
Rick Rosner: For a very persuasive theory of consciousness to exist, we would have to show what an information world looks like. We hypothesize it would have the physics of the world that we live in. We’d have to show the information in consciousness moment-to-moment and in memory, able to be brought up, how all that can be represented by a physical structure – call it a universe – with rules – call that physics, and how everything you know is part of it.
I have this clock radio and telephone in one in the home. It has rounded corners and a green LED display and has shading because it is sitting under a light. It looks like an actual thing in the world. A mathematical theory of consciousness would have to show how that information exists within a structure that incorporates my perception of this phone clock radio, and the rest of the room that I am in, and how it is embodied. Until recently, we were thinking information is more “holographic.” I don’t like it, the term – ugh.
Jacobsen: How about globally distributed and locally represented?
Rosner: Yes. I am not sure even know about that. It is globally distributed and able to be manipulated, so that it can be an object within my perception and imagination, or within my consciousness.
Jacobsen: It is like saying, “Everywhere and nowhere.” Does it really say anything? How can this be stated more precisely?
Rosner: Because you have to link the information and how this device, this phone deal, is represented in the information world, which probably includes the roughly global sharing of information via long-distance photons.
Jacobsen: There should numbers, symbols, and equations behind that.
Rosner: Yes, the whole deal.
Jacobsen: Then this would be the mathematicization of consciousness.
Rosner: Yes.
Jacobsen: We talked bluntly about traditional religion. What does this mean for spirituality?
Rosner: In the US, spirituality has been entirely fucked over by Evangelicals. As a liberal American offering any respect to religion at this point seems stupid because religion has been turned into this fantastically corrupt deal in America, this shouldn’t reflect on spirituality because this should be a different thing. Religion in America are real crap right now.
Jacobsen: How many people are part of these movements now?
Rosner: I don’t know. Maybe, it’s tens of millions.
Jacobsen: Okay.
Rosner: So, that’s thing one. My patience with religion, right now, is low. Thing two is, science is supplanting religion. Where I don’t think anybody expected this at the beginning of the scientific revolution, including scientists, the work of science to explain everything to every corner of the world. At this point, 500 years later, it looks like science can explain everything in the world. It is not to say we have explained everything or science can explain some metaphysical assumptions, such as the set of all possible worlds that have principles that can connect to ‘spiritual goods’ or properties that are good under ‘spirituality.’
From those things, you can extrapolate ethics. A sloppy half-assed understanding of the scientific world puts a premium on things happening without anyone in charge, but a more nuanced view of the scientific version of the world says, “It’s not random. Order emerges. Persistence persists. Under these principles, there is room for ethics and goodness, and a whole bunch of things, which are spiritually preferred. Even though, we are in a heartless and leaderless universe.”
Jacobsen: I like the phrase, “There are no governors anywhere.”
Rosner: I agree, but there are principles – not in charge – that describe what structures and entities persist and exist in the universe. Those entities are generated by order producing processes.
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