Why Physicists Are Studying Human Consciousness and AI to Unravel the Mysteries of the Universe
by George Musser
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Published Nov 2023
336 pages
Genre: Science, Health and the Environment
Publication Information
A revelatory exploration of how a "theory of everything" depends upon our understanding of the human mind
The whole goal of physics is to explain what we observe. For centuries, physicists believed that observations yielded faithful representations of what is out there. But when they began to study the subatomic realm, they found that observation often interferes with what is being observed—that the act of seeing changes what we see. The same is true of cosmology: our view of the universe is inevitably distorted by observation bias. And so whether they're studying subatomic particles or galaxies, physicists must first explain consciousness—and for that they must turn to neuroscientists and philosophers of mind.
Neuroscientists have painstakingly built up an understanding of the structure of the brain. Could this help physicists understand the levels of self-organization they observe in other systems? These same physicists, meanwhile, are trying to explain how particles organize themselves into the objects around us. Could their discoveries help explain how neurons produce our conscious experience?
Exploring these questions and more, George Musser tackles the extraordinary interconnections between quantum mechanics, cosmology, human consciousness, and artificial intelligence. Combining vivid descriptive writing with portraits of scientists working on the cutting edge, Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation shows how theories of everything depend on theories of mind—and how they might be one and the same.
"Electrifying ... Musser explores the fascinating ways in which scientists are studying the physics of the mind ... Musser has a talent for distilling complex science into accessible language ... Lucid and endlessly intriguing, [Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation] will expand readers' minds." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A] penetrating account of the connections among consciousness and artificial intelligence, cosmology, and quantum mechanics ... A skilled reporter, [Musser] chronicles his travels around the world interviewing experts in many fields." ―Kirkus Reviews
"This is a delightful account of one of the deepest and most fascinating explorations going on today at the frontier of our knowledge." ―Carlo Rovelli, bestselling author of The Order of Time and Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
"The renowned science writer George Musser has taken on one of our time's greatest issues: AI, how it works, and what makes it so powerful. This masterfully written book shows a surprising connection with theoretical physics." ―Max Tegmark, professor at MIT and bestselling author of Life 3.0 and Our Mathematical Universe
"George Musser is one of my favorite science writers of all time. Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation is an important book that will inform both the future of physics and the philosophy of mind." ―Annaka Harris, bestselling author of Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind
This information about Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
George Musser is an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor for Scientific American, and the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory. He is the recipient of a Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award from the American Astronomical Society and the 2011 American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award for Science Writing. He was a Knight Science Journalism fellow at MIT from 2014 to 2015. He has appeared on Today, CNN, NPR, the BBC, Al Jazeera, and other outlets. He lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife and daughter.
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