I went looking for some mental stimulation and picked a MOOC run by Harvard on Neuroscience. I have no science background and I may have bitten off more than I can chew. The course is well structured with lots of pop quizes throughout the topics.
But I may be more interested in the psychology of consciousness than a deeper understanding of how minds work. I haven’t given up just yet. It will probably help if I timetable my learning. Mornings are usually best for anything cerebral.
The interest in neuroscinece was sparked by my recent studies on a MOOC chaired by Professor Mark Solms on the neuropsychology of mind. He is a passionate educator and an engaging speaker on the topic. I have had the opportunity to catch his participation in the debates surrounding the hard problem of consciousness and his research into brain stem function. I have bought his book The Hidden Spring – A Journey to the Source of Consciousness. But I haven’t dived in yet.
At the end of one of his recent lectures he was asked if he thought it would be possible to create consciousness artificially. I was surprised to hear him say that unless that was possible then the theoretical research into the source and function of consciousness would not be proved. The prospect of an artificial entity that would experience sensations, feelings and that ‘what it’s like to be me’ stuff is extraordinary.
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