In this month’s episode of Brain Science (BS 160) we take a deep dive into the neuroscience of consciousness. Until recently, consciousness was considered outside the realm of science, but now it is a growing field of interest. I review several recent books with a cross-section of viewpoints, but there are several concepts that they all share:

• Consciousness requires a brain

• Consciousness is a product of evolution

• Consciousness is embodied

Key questions that I covered for each author:

• What is consciousness?

• Are other animals conscious?

• What is the role of emotions?

• Could AI become conscious?

• What about the so-called hard problem of consciousness?

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Books featured in BS 160 (listed in the order cited):

• Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts by Stanislas Dehaene (2014)

• The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself by Sean Carroll (2016)

• The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feeling, and the Making of Cultures by Antonio Damasio (2018)

• From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds by Daniel C. Dennett (2017)

• Consciousness Demystified by Todd E. Feinberg, MD and Jon M. Mallatt, PhD

Additional Episodes Mentioned:

• Luis Pessoa, author of The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration (BS 106)

• Evan Thompson, author of Life in Mind (BSP 89 and BS 115)

• Discussion of Self Comes To Mind by Antonio Damasio (BSP 90)

• Click here for additional episodes about consciousness.

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