Donald Hoffman

Hoffman has continued to develop a mathematical model of consciousness, and has used that model to solve the “combination problem” of consciousness. What does brain damage do to people? By observing strange behaviors in brain-impaired patients, scientists discern how normal brains works For example, what happens to “the... Some say that consciousness is the only true reality—that everything else, including the universe, comes from consciousness. If so, how would consciousness relate to the... Are quantum events required for consciousness in a very special sense, far beyond the general sense that quantum events are part of all physical systems? What would it take... There was a time when there was no consciousness in our universe. Now there is. What caused consciousness to emerge? Did consciousness develop in the same way that, say, the... Scientists say our consciousness is the product of our brains, with purposes set by evolutionary fitness. Theologians believe our consciousness reflects the God who created... Is science squeezing religion into a smaller and smaller corner, as science explains naturally what religion used to explain supernaturally? How far will this process go?... What is it about human brains that enable both the regulation of bodily activities and the generation of mental thoughts? What are the mechanisms of human brain function? How... How do injured brains help explain normal brains? One of the most powerful ways of learning about normal brain function is to examine what functions are lost when parts or... Does the mind work like a computer? Are mental processes the product of computation in that information processing is the essence of mind or consciousness? This view is... Some claim consciousness, our inner awareness, is part of a ‘cosmic consciousness’. Not only is consciousness the deepest reality, but also it brought into... How did the human mind, with all its faculties and capacities, develop during the long evolution of human beings? ‘Evolutionary psychology’ is the field that... Closer To Truth is excited to partner with HowtheLightGetsIn for another year of their annual Hay festival. This playlist features speakers who will appear at Hay between May... Our partners at The Institute of Art and Ideas (IAI) aim to rescue philosophy from technical debates about the meaning of words and return it to big ideas and putting them at... Everything we know comes from the brain. Are brains our window to reality, showing us what truly exists? How can we know? Can consciousness derive from something beyond the... Donald Hoffman discusses the nature of reality, what is real, his theory of consciousness, and how this theory affects everything from artificial intelligence to alien life...