Alwyn Scott

Stairway to the Mind: the Controversial New Science of Consciousness Alwyn Scott Softcover Reprint of the Original 1st Ed. 1995 edition

Description for Sales People: This book will encourage the general reader to appreciate current issues in this exciting area of modern research, and will also help a wide variety of scientists - from chemists and biochemists to psychologists and ethnologists- see how their detailed studies are related to an understanding of the nature of consciousness. Table of Contents: Preface.- Acknowledgments.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- Introduction.- Quantum Physics, Chemistry, and Consciousness: Quantum physics.- Chemistry.- Quantum consciousness.- References.- The Chemistry of Life: Biomolecular structures.- Blomolecular dynamics.- Is life based on the laws of physics?- References.- The Nerve Afire: Nerve membrane dynamics.- Nonlinear diffusion.- The Hodgkin-Huxley equations.- Neurodynamics.- References.- Is There a Computer In Your Head?: The McCulloch-Pitts neuron.- Dendritic and axonal computing.- Synaptic transmission.- The multiplex neuron.- A real neuron.- Quantum effects?- Can a neuron be modeled on a computer?- References.- 'An Enchanted Loom': A brief look at the brain.- Layered structures.- The Perceptron.- The cell assembly.- The hierarchy of cell assemblies.- The cell assembly revisited.- The nature of thought.- Cortical Stimulation.- A deeper question.- References.- A Century of Brain-Mind Theory: William James.- George Santayana.- Behaviorism.- Donald Hebb.- Erwin Schrodinger.- Can a machine think?- Are we machines?- Forebrain commissurotomy.- Karl Popper and John Eccles.- Blindsight.- Roger Penrose.- Francis Crick and Christof Koch.- Daniel Dennett.- John Searle.- Erich Harth.- Henry Stapp.- Eccles throws down the gauntlet.- Crick replies.- The hard problem.- References.- 'A Great Arc' of Possibilities: The birth of American anthropology.- Cultural configurations.- Coming of age in Samoa.- Cultural relativity.- Anthropology and modern life.- Ethics.- Biological and cultural evolution.- References.- Toward an Emergent Theory of Consciousness: Credo.- Quantum consciousness and scientific determinism.- Conservation of energy in the mind?- Materialism.- Functionalism.- Dualism.- The locus of consciousness.- Artificial intelligence.- Two dreams.- References.- 'Then I Tell Them What I Told Them': Recapitulation.- Final comments.- Appendices: Nonlinearity and Emergence.- The Mathematics of Quantum Theory.- The Born-Oppenheimer Approximation.- Local Modes.- Schrodinger's Cat.- Linear and Nonlinear Diffusion.- The Hodgkin-Huxley Equations.- Counting Neural Networks.- An Incomplete Physical Theory.- References.- Index."

Contributor Bio:  Scott, Alwyn Alywn Scott is an Emeritus Professor at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona and a Consultant at the Department of Informatics and Mathematical Modelling at the Technical University of Denmark. He is the editor of the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Nonlinear Science (Taylor andFrancis (Routledge), New York). He is the chairman of in international committee for the Pnevmatikos Prize in Nonlinear Science, which is awarded in even years to outstanding young researchers in nonlinear science. He was a founding director (1981-1985) of the Center for Nonlinear Science in NewMexico.