Ebben
@ebben.bsky.social
Long time student of the mind sciences.
Didn't watch video, but I think the mystery of consciousness is overblown. We do know that the brain can represent the world along with our inner self, feelings and all. So, what's the problem? We can be aware of things, what more is there to explain? The exact mechanism, sure, but no big mystery.
November 22, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Didn't watch video, but I think the mystery of consciousness is overblown. We do know that the brain can represent the world along with our inner self, feelings and all. So, what's the problem? We can be aware of things, what more is there to explain? The exact mechanism, sure, but no big mystery.
Yes, the key idea is coordination. When many things are in the same phase, something happens. Oscillation may be the wrong term. The key idea is alignment of phases among neurons and brain waves can serve the purpose of guiding phase relationships to manifest otherwise latent states.
November 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Yes, the key idea is coordination. When many things are in the same phase, something happens. Oscillation may be the wrong term. The key idea is alignment of phases among neurons and brain waves can serve the purpose of guiding phase relationships to manifest otherwise latent states.
Yes, a paradigm shift. But I don't think you get it because you think of it as oscillations. Think of it as information processing in the time domain, based on phase relationships, a very big difference in speed and efficiency. Whatever you mean by "internalist" is a different issue, I think.
November 19, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Yes, a paradigm shift. But I don't think you get it because you think of it as oscillations. Think of it as information processing in the time domain, based on phase relationships, a very big difference in speed and efficiency. Whatever you mean by "internalist" is a different issue, I think.
Your critique may well have correct points, but you are addressing the wrong level of abstraction. Like critiquing Darwin's observation of finch beaks instead of his theory of evolution. Miller is proposing a paradigm shift, you're critiquing the evidence. Fair game, but misses the point.
November 19, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Your critique may well have correct points, but you are addressing the wrong level of abstraction. Like critiquing Darwin's observation of finch beaks instead of his theory of evolution. Miller is proposing a paradigm shift, you're critiquing the evidence. Fair game, but misses the point.
So, you obviously have a grudge against her, as shown by your overstating the case. But you could make a case that "Barrett over emphasizes the cultural and social-cognitive aspects of emotions, while downplaying their innate, biological roots". But i wonder if you understand it yourself.
October 27, 2025 at 10:38 PM
So, you obviously have a grudge against her, as shown by your overstating the case. But you could make a case that "Barrett over emphasizes the cultural and social-cognitive aspects of emotions, while downplaying their innate, biological roots". But i wonder if you understand it yourself.
Old prof of mine had a maxim, "Things are as they seem, unless there is a reason to think otherwise." -- Ossorio.
October 25, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Old prof of mine had a maxim, "Things are as they seem, unless there is a reason to think otherwise." -- Ossorio.
The extreme of that is solipsism. Organisms start that way, and gradually learn to perceive and act on the world objectively. Objectivity is a skill learned over time. Objectivity just means learning how the world works. Subjectivity never goes away completely (emotions, etc.), just managed. Agree?
October 23, 2025 at 4:47 AM
The extreme of that is solipsism. Organisms start that way, and gradually learn to perceive and act on the world objectively. Objectivity is a skill learned over time. Objectivity just means learning how the world works. Subjectivity never goes away completely (emotions, etc.), just managed. Agree?
My hammer drives a nail into wood. That's objective and scientific, so your statement is false. But yes, other, more complex objectivity may be grounded in consensual belief. But you seem to be overgeneralizing and stating principles out of thin air. I'm not sure how to proceed.
October 21, 2025 at 11:19 PM
My hammer drives a nail into wood. That's objective and scientific, so your statement is false. But yes, other, more complex objectivity may be grounded in consensual belief. But you seem to be overgeneralizing and stating principles out of thin air. I'm not sure how to proceed.
I'm sorry but Chalmers has gone from bad qualia obsession to inappropriate math obsession. Where are complex systems concepts? Nowhere to be found. Where is cognitive science? Nowhere. Sorry, but this qualifies for "so bad it isn't even wrong". Didn't even mention attention schema theory. Sigh.
October 21, 2025 at 9:42 PM
I'm sorry but Chalmers has gone from bad qualia obsession to inappropriate math obsession. Where are complex systems concepts? Nowhere to be found. Where is cognitive science? Nowhere. Sorry, but this qualifies for "so bad it isn't even wrong". Didn't even mention attention schema theory. Sigh.
One thing Ball didn't comment on is the paper's observation that: "this framework reveals a highly “jagged” cognitive profile
in contemporary models" which, to me, hints at a fundamental problem yet to be identified.
in contemporary models" which, to me, hints at a fundamental problem yet to be identified.
October 21, 2025 at 7:57 PM
One thing Ball didn't comment on is the paper's observation that: "this framework reveals a highly “jagged” cognitive profile
in contemporary models" which, to me, hints at a fundamental problem yet to be identified.
in contemporary models" which, to me, hints at a fundamental problem yet to be identified.
Yes Ball makes a couple good points about the limitations of www.agidefinition.ai/paper.pdf. But LLM's have sparked a broad reassessment of conventional views of intelligence, and this paper is a decent foray into that. Neither Ball nor the paper get it all right. We can expect much more to come.
October 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Yes Ball makes a couple good points about the limitations of www.agidefinition.ai/paper.pdf. But LLM's have sparked a broad reassessment of conventional views of intelligence, and this paper is a decent foray into that. Neither Ball nor the paper get it all right. We can expect much more to come.
Some processes are merely chemical or atomic (lower level of abstraction than biological). I'm not sure your statement is meaningful. You're saying some processes are not objectively observable, in principle. If so, how would you even be aware of such processes? Religious faith?
October 21, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Some processes are merely chemical or atomic (lower level of abstraction than biological). I'm not sure your statement is meaningful. You're saying some processes are not objectively observable, in principle. If so, how would you even be aware of such processes? Religious faith?
That concept of "knowing what's it's like" really confused and hampered a lot of philosophers of mind. I'd like more cog scientists to weigh in and say it is knowledge of feelings, a biological process.
October 20, 2025 at 9:08 PM
That concept of "knowing what's it's like" really confused and hampered a lot of philosophers of mind. I'd like more cog scientists to weigh in and say it is knowledge of feelings, a biological process.
I took a little look ahead. One key idea is that Shannon information is reinterpreted or is generalized as being about the general logic of inference, thus about the most probable contents of the original message. But still not about message meaning.
October 15, 2025 at 12:57 AM
I took a little look ahead. One key idea is that Shannon information is reinterpreted or is generalized as being about the general logic of inference, thus about the most probable contents of the original message. But still not about message meaning.
First, your body/mind does function without awareness for most of its operations. Second, the ability to be aware gives an evolutionary advantage. Awareness, hypothetically being the attentional use of the schema, enables the ability to adaptively focus, abstract, and generalize the situation.
October 10, 2025 at 1:27 AM
First, your body/mind does function without awareness for most of its operations. Second, the ability to be aware gives an evolutionary advantage. Awareness, hypothetically being the attentional use of the schema, enables the ability to adaptively focus, abstract, and generalize the situation.
True, we can't yet get more specific. But subjective experience = identifiable feeling and body state. What more (objective factors) are you suggesting is missing? Thus, robots could have subjective experience if and only if they can have "feelings". Feelings are produced by neuro-chemical state.
October 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
True, we can't yet get more specific. But subjective experience = identifiable feeling and body state. What more (objective factors) are you suggesting is missing? Thus, robots could have subjective experience if and only if they can have "feelings". Feelings are produced by neuro-chemical state.
Can you feel something and not experience it? Keep in mind there is more than "nerve signals", there are also neuro-modulators and chemistry that affect the whole body. The brain maps a body state to a neuro chemically produced feeling, and attending to that is the subjectively felt experience.
October 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Can you feel something and not experience it? Keep in mind there is more than "nerve signals", there are also neuro-modulators and chemistry that affect the whole body. The brain maps a body state to a neuro chemically produced feeling, and attending to that is the subjectively felt experience.
I'm always amazed why people do this. I keep very few tabs open and rely on URLs that i drag to the desktop or a folder on the desktop. It's easy enough to redisplay them, and keeping them as URLs is much easier way to organize them. What am i missing?
October 8, 2025 at 7:38 PM
I'm always amazed why people do this. I keep very few tabs open and rely on URLs that i drag to the desktop or a folder on the desktop. It's easy enough to redisplay them, and keeping them as URLs is much easier way to organize them. What am i missing?
Consider the fact that our biology makes us "feel", and that includes the feeling of confidence. So, people feel consciousness is mysterious. But in reality conscious is merely the fact that we can represent our world (our knowledge, skills, feeling and we can focus on what is important to survive.
October 8, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Consider the fact that our biology makes us "feel", and that includes the feeling of confidence. So, people feel consciousness is mysterious. But in reality conscious is merely the fact that we can represent our world (our knowledge, skills, feeling and we can focus on what is important to survive.
Just read "what is consciousness" section. You didn't mention attention schema theory. I think you are limiting yourself to an older notion of consciousness that presumes that it it a mysterious phenomenon. It doesn't have to be thought of that way.
October 8, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Just read "what is consciousness" section. You didn't mention attention schema theory. I think you are limiting yourself to an older notion of consciousness that presumes that it it a mysterious phenomenon. It doesn't have to be thought of that way.
Ah, so you're tying things to predictability? I don't really understand your overall point. All I noted was that emergence occurs when things become organized into a natural self-organized system. Predicting details is another matter.
September 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Ah, so you're tying things to predictability? I don't really understand your overall point. All I noted was that emergence occurs when things become organized into a natural self-organized system. Predicting details is another matter.
Don't understand your reply. What does prediction have to do with it? What does Miller's situation have to do with it? Please clarify.
September 23, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Don't understand your reply. What does prediction have to do with it? What does Miller's situation have to do with it? Please clarify.