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Let me tell you about my forthcoming book, "Life, the Universe and Consciousness" ... /1
Scientists face numerous problems when seeking to explain the world we live in, not least of which is the so-called Hard Problem of Consciousness - the questions of how and why our material brains create conscious experience /2
The Hard Problem is said to be 'intractable' - beyond our ability to even agree on what an acceptable solution might look like.
But this is not the only intractable problem... /3
But this is not the only intractable problem... /3
There is the problem of explaining how consciousness evolved. There's the problem of how and where to draw the line between which animals are conscious and those that are not. And then there's that challenge of saying how it is we can have free-will in a deterministic universe /4
There is the problem of interpreting Quantum Mechanics; there's the challenge of reconciling Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity; there's the question of what caused the Big Bang; and there's the problem of why the Laws of Nature appear so perfectly tuned for Life. /5
And then there are the problems of Life itself, including the challenge of saying How Life began, as well as the key question of What Life is - something which scientists have surprisingly been unable to answer, so far /6
In all, there are 12 distinct intractable problems concerned with Life, the Universe and Consciousness, each of which I set out to solve in my book. "But why seek to solve all 12 problems within one book?", I hear you ask. "Doesn't each problem deserve a book of its own?" /7
The reason is that the problems are linked, in that they all arise from the same underlying scientific beliefs - beliefs which must be challenged, if we are ever to find our solutions. In short, you can't solve any one problem satisfactorily without solving all twelve. /8
Over the next 12 days, I will tweet a summary of each problem and say a few words about why it is so hard to solve. If anyone would like to reply with their proposed solutions, I will happily say whether it is right or wrong :) /9
And, I promise to send a free copy of my book to the first person to offer what I judge to be the right answer to any one question.
Good luck :) /10
Good luck :) /10
