Lecture : A Framework for Thinking About Consciousness (Christof Koch)

NCC - Neural Correlate of Consciousness
Central Dogma : DNA -> RNA -> Protein
Computational Biology - essential to the brain

What can single neurons computer? => 1999 book

Different levels of consciousness
how is a physical system? (Descartes)

ACC - Anterior Cingulate Cortex (removed for chronic pain)

Zombie Agents
- don't access working memory -> highly trained sensory mortor actors bypass consciousness [Gladwell article on tennis player, JFK, Jr.]
- complemented by general purpose system => compact representation functional consciousness => planning stages of brain (prefrontal cortex)
- V1 not conn. to frontal lobe, NCC is not found in V1

Coalition of Neurons
- humans don't think well in terms of large networks
- neuronal assemblies competing for dominance
- NCC minimal neuronal mechanism for any percept
- isomorphism between NCC & subjective states
- from correlation to causation (need animal models)

CLAIM : given technology, we have the tools to identify NCC
molecular techniques to manipulate neurons
a conscious perception -> discrete, all or none
=> Oliver Sacks, NY Review of Books - condition ("I'm a novice, too slow")

BATESON 1916 review of the Mech of Mend Heresity by TH Morgan (1914)
[G] chromatin, gen

Patent categories
Ex. Qualcomm signal packagine
Ex. Gladwell barcode
PCR -> new

ATTENTION & BINDING
- bottom-up, saliency driven
- William James
Synchronization & oscillatory firing - mech to influence competition among neurons

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
- empirical problem
- practical tests : defy texts
- dev. perturbation/interventionist protocols

Attentional misdirections -> magicians (Ex. Jasper John's flag)

UCLA Experiment : node in head for epilepsy patients -> wires in tubes
Beatles, Bill Clinton, Simpsons neurons
population histogram

=> None of these S1 selective neurons responded to a perceptually suppressed image

How simple an animal can have phenomenol states (consciousness)?

Distract people's attention -> defy cond. but not trace and auby(?)

STRATEGIES
1. identify coalition of specified forebrain neurons to specific NCC
2. search for random mutations that interfere w/ trace but don't delay conditioning => zombie mice


- ANNOUNCEMENT -

Wednesday, March 10, 2004
4:00 pm
Christof Koch, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology
"A Framework for Thinking About Consciousness"
The Francis Crick Nobel Lecture
THE SALK INSTITUTE
Frederic de Hoffmann Auditorium
Host: Dr. Terrence Sejnowski