dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe importance of quantum decoherence in brain processes
| Authors | Max Tegmark |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/9907009 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9907009 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevE.61.4194 |
| Journal | Phys.Rev.E61:4194-4206,2000 |
Abstract
Based on a calculation of neural decoherence rates, we argue that that the degrees of freedom of the human brain that relate to cognitive processes should be thought of as a classical rather than quantum system, i.e., that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the current classical approach to neural network simulations. We find that the decoherence timescales ~10^{-13}-10^{-20} seconds are typically much shorter than the relevant dynamical timescales (~0.001-0.1 seconds), both for regular neuron firing and for kink-like polarization excitations in microtubules. This conclusion disagrees with suggestions by Penrose and others that the brain acts as a quantum computer, and that quantum coherence is related to consciousness in a fundamental way.
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"abstract": "Based on a calculation of neural decoherence rates, we argue that that the\ndegrees of freedom of the human brain that relate to cognitive processes should\nbe thought of as a classical rather than quantum system, i.e., that there is\nnothing fundamentally wrong with the current classical approach to neural\nnetwork simulations. We find that the decoherence timescales ~10^{-13}-10^{-20}\nseconds are typically much shorter than the relevant dynamical timescales\n(~0.001-0.1 seconds), both for regular neuron firing and for kink-like\npolarization excitations in microtubules. This conclusion disagrees with\nsuggestions by Penrose and others that the brain acts as a quantum computer,\nand that quantum coherence is related to consciousness in a fundamental way.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/9907009",
"authors": [
"Max Tegmark"
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"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevE.61.4194",
"journal_ref": "Phys.Rev.E61:4194-4206,2000",
"title": "The importance of quantum decoherence in brain processes",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9907009"
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