The Race for Consciousness

by John G. Taylor

Book Overview

Scientists may be approaching the finish-line in the race to understand consciousness. John Taylor introduces the contending theories, including his own. There is a sense among scientists that the time is finally ripe for the problem of consciousness to be solved once and for all. The development of new experimental and theoretical tools for probing the brain has produced an atmosphere of unparalleled optimism that the job can now be done properly-...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262700867
• ISBN13: 9780262700863
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: MIT Press (MA)
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

extremely fundamental

Author does good job in explaining area to readers who usually read Ophra books. Extremely fundamental. 75% of the world is illiterate, 20% of the remaining have technical agility to operate an automobile or computer, less than 1% of the remaining know how to build them. The cumulative knowledge of biophysical type knowledge generally requires at least graduate college work. For instance if I told you that human free choice was merely a matter of how long the hysterisis loops in your IPSP were established in the attractor would you know what was being said? (In other words is there a thing called choice?) Another example, all 5-HT of the SSRI catagory cause a frequency shift in the thalmic inhibition cycle, what does this mean in terms of drug therapy for other damaged cortical areas? Yes the information and the state of the science is there, but only for people curious enough to question.

A race yet in the starting blocks

The book is extremely fascinating, but I am left with a feeling that this field of science is hopelessly underdeveloped. Why haven't we made breakthroughs in this field decades ago? And is this theory really brand new? Some of these ideas about consciousness seem rather mainstream to me. Of course, kudos must go to Taylor for making an obviously needed effort in a young field.