The Hard Problem of ConsciousnesswithStuart Hameroff

Books Mentioned In This Interview

stuart hameroff toward a science of consciousness

Stuart Hameroff, MD, is a professor of anesthesiology and psychology at the Banner University Medical Center of the University of Arizona in Tucson. He is also co-founder and director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona. He is author of Ultimate Computing: Biomolecular Consciousness and Nanotechnology. Since 1994, he has organized the “Toward a Science of Consciousness” conferences at the University of Arizona and elsewhere. Working with Sir Roger Penrose, he is the co-author of the “Orch OR” theory of consciousness.

Here he points out that the “hard problem” refers to the very existence of subjective experience in a material world. This is a problem addressed by panpsychists and dualists — as well as materialists who believe that consciousness is an emergent property related to complexity. Hameroff believes that all of these proposed solutions are inadequate and explains why he prefers the theory posed by Roger Penrose in his book, The Emperor’s New Mind. He developed the ORCH OR theory with Penrose in order to link Penrose’s mathematical and physical approach with an understanding of the brain and nervous system.

(Recorded on July 8, 2017)

Published on July 9, 2017

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