Not so strange. The process of conscious observation creates
information. Reversible computations conserve information. Therefore
conscious processes must be irreversible. A corrollory of this is that
conscious observers will experience an arrow of time, including a
second law of thermodynamics.
Cheers
David Barrett-Lennard wrote:
>
> Assuming neurons aren't able to tap into QM stuff because of
> decoherence, it seems odd that consciousness is performed with an
> irreversible computation whilst the universe uses a reversible
> computation.
>
> - David
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russell Standish [mailto:R.Standish.domain.name.hidden]
> Sent: Thursday, 13 November 2003 9:59 AM
> To: David Barrett-Lennard
> Subject: Re: Reversible computing
>
> I think the answer to your question is yes (assuming I understand you
> correctly). Information and probability are closely linked (through
> algorithmic information theory - AIT for those acronym
> lists). Schroedinger's equation is known to conserve probability
> (basically |\psi(t)| is a constant - usually set to 1 - under
> evolution by Schroedinger's equation (|.| here means Hilbert spoace
> norm, not
> absolute value)). This conservation of probability turns out to be
> equivalent to unitarity of the Hamiltonian operator, which guess what,
> means energy is conserved.
>
> Unitary evolution is a reversible computation, which is why quantum
> computations are reversible.
>
> Cheers
>
> David Barrett-Lennard wrote:
> >
> > I have been wondering whether there is something significant in the
> fact
> > that our laws of physics are mostly time symmetric, and we have a law
> of
> > conservation of mass/energy. Does this suggest that our universe is
> > associated with a reversible (and information preserving) computation?
>
> >
> > - David
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> A/Prof Russell Standish Director
> High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967, 8308 3119
> (mobile)
> UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965, 0425 253119
> (")
> Australia R.Standish.domain.name.hidden
>
> Room 2075, Red Centre
> http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/Prof Russell Standish Director
High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967, 8308 3119 (mobile)
UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965, 0425 253119 (")
Australia R.Standish.domain.name.hidden
Room 2075, Red Centre
http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on Wed Nov 12 2003 - 21:41:52 PST