[Sadhu Sanga] The Science of Consciousness 2017, San Diego, Final Program Announcement
The Science of Consciousness
June 5-10, 2017, La Jolla, California
"To have a glimpse of what consciousness is would be the scientific achievement before which all others would pale."
William James
'The Science of Consciousness' ('TSC') is an interdisciplinary conference on all aspects of the nature of conscious experience, awareness, feelings and existence. How does the brain produce consciousness? Is consciousness intrinsic to the universe, or an epiphenomenal illusion? How can consciousness causally affect brain processes? What are the best empirical theories? Do we have free will? How did life and consciousness originate and evolve? What are the origins of moral and aesthetic values? How can we improve mental, physical and cognitive function? Can consciousness persist after bodily death, e.g. through 'uploading' to machines, or via mental processes tied to the natural world?
Informal, intensive and interdisciplinary in a fun environment, the 24th annual TSC conference will consist of Plenary Sessions, Pre-Plenary Workshops, Evening Concurrent Talk and Poster sessions, Technology and Art Exhibits, Social Events and Entertainment.
For registration, hotel and other information see:
http://www.consciousness.arizona.edu
Plenary Program
Tuesday June 6, 2017
PL1 2:00 to 4:10 pm
Can Machines Be Conscious?
Sir Roger Penrose, Oxford, 'How can Consciousness Arise within the Laws of Physics?'
Joscha Bach, Harvard, 'Consciousness as a Memory of Coordinating Attention: The Conductor Model of Consciousness'
Hartmut Neven, Google, Quantum AI, 'Possible Roles of Quantum Effects and Subjective Experience in Artificial Intelligence'
Wednesday June 7, 2017
PL2 8:30 to 10:40am
Language and Consciousness
Noam Chomsky, MIT, 'Language and Unconscious Mental Acts'
Thomas Bever, U Arizona, 'Three Aspects of (Un)conscious Processing in Language and its Normal Use'
Michael J Spivey, UC Merced, 'Language, Consciousness and Embodied Cognition'
PL3 11:10 am to 12:30 pm
Biophysics 1- Memory, Spin and Anesthesia
Matthew Fisher, UC Santa Barbara, 'Are We Quantum Computers, or Merely Clever Robots?'
Travis Craddock, Nova Southeastern U, 'A Unitary Mechanism of Anesthesia?: Altering Collective Oscillations in Microtubules'
PL4 2:00 to 4:10 pm
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation
Marom Bikson, CCNY/CUNY, 'Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Devices to Change Thought and Behavior'
John Allen, Arizona, 'Transcranial Ultrasound, Mood, and Resting State Network Connectivity'
Martin Berman, VieLight, 'Integrating Noninvasive Photobiomodulation and Neuromodulation'
Michael Rohan, Harvard, 'The Effects of Low Field Magnetic Stimulation on Mood and Brain Function'
Thursday June 8, 2017
PL5 8:30 to 10:40am
Physics, Cosmology and Consciousness
Ivette Fuentes, U Nottingham, 'Gravity in the Quantum Lab'