Quantum Theory and the Nature of Consciousness

Our interest focusses on the idea, that consciousness is a powerful acting entity. Up to now there does not exist a scientific concept for this idea. This is not due to problems within the field of psychology or brain research, but rather in resisting theories of modern physics. That is, why we have to search for a solution in the field of physics. A solution can be found in a new understanding of the basics of physical theory. That could be given by abstract and absolute quantum bits of information (AQI bits). To avoid the popular misunderstanding of “information” as “meaningful” it was necessary to find a new word for the free-of-meaning AQI bits: the AQI bits establish a quantum pre-structure termed “Protyposis” (Greek: “pre-formation”), out of which real objects can be formed, starting from energetical and material elementary particles. The Protyposis AQI bits provide a pre-structure for all entities in natural sciences. They are the basic entities, whereof the physical nature of the brain, on the one hand, and the mental nature of consciousness, on the other hand, were formed during the cosmological and the following biological evolution. A deeper understanding of quantum structures may help to overcome the resistance against quantum theory in the field of brain research and consciousness. The key for an understanding is the concept of Protyposis, which means an abstract quantum information free of any definite meaning. With the AQI bits of the Protyposis, both, massless and massive quantum particles can be constructed. Even quantum information with special meanings, in example grammatically formulated thoughts, eventually could be explained. As long as the fundamental basis of quantum theory is misunderstood as being formed by a manifold of some small objects like atoms, quarks, or strings, the problem of understanding consciousness has no solution. If instead we understand quantum theory as based on truly simple quantum structures, there would be no longer fundamental problems for an understanding of consciousness.     

消除主义、读心术与实验哲学：访斯蒂芬·斯蒂奇教授

斯蒂芬·斯蒂奇(Stephen Stich)教授是美国人文与艺术科学学院院士、美国罗格斯大学哲学与认知科学讲席教授,是美国科学哲学研究的重要代表人物。2018年12月份,斯蒂奇教授受邀访问了北京大学、华东师范大学等高校,通过相关学术活动,他与中国哲学家们交流了彼此的哲学理念与研究成果。受中国现代外国哲学学会知识论专业委员会的委托,我们在厦门大学对其进行了专访,希望借此让读者进一步理解其富有影响的心灵哲学、知识论与实验哲学的研究成果。     

从术语翻译研究说开去——李亚舒教授访谈录

年过八旬的李亚舒教授热衷翻译实践,心系翻译研究,提携译学后辈。在访谈中,李教授结合自身六十余年的翻译实践经验和理论研究成果,围绕术语翻译研究、翻译学科建设、人才培养、办刊旨趣、理论创新、实践探索等话题分享了所思所悟,启迪心智、鼓舞人心。     

Symmetry, Quantum Mechanics, and Beyond

The relevance of symmetry to today's physics is a widely acknowledged fact. A significant part of recent physical inquiry – especially the physics concerned with investigating the fundamentalbuilding blocks of nature – is grounded on symmetry principles andtheir many and far-reaching consequences. But where these symmetries come from and what their real meaning is are open questions, at the center of a developing debate among physicists and philosophers of science. To tackle the problems arising in considering the symmetry issue is the main purpose of this paper. Starting with briefly recalling the bases for the discussion – how symmetry enters and operates in physics, its special effectiveness in the quantum domain and the many relevant functions it performs (Sections 1–3), the paper then focus on the general interpretative questions that arise and the sorts of answers that have been given (Section 4).     

Experience, Awareness and Consciousness:Suggestions for Definitions as Offered by an Evolutionary Approach

An evolutionary point of view is proposed to make more appropriate distinctions between experience, awareness and consciousness. Experience can be defined as a characteristic linked closely to specific pattern matching, a characteristic already apparent at the molecular level at least. Awareness can be regarded as the special experience of one or more central, final modules in the animal neuronal brain. Awareness is what experience is to animals.Finally, consciousness could be defined as reflexive awareness. The ability for reflexive awareness is distinctly different from animal and human awareness and depends upon the availability of a separate frame of reference, as provided by symbolic language. As such, words have made reflexive awareness – a specific and infrequent form of awareness – possible. Conciousness might be defined as the experience evoked by considering, i.e. thinking about experiences themselves.If there is a hard problem of explaining consciousness, than this actually must be considered as the hard problem already met when trying to explain basic experience, since its nature remains elusive.     

我的博物学研究路径与期待——范发迪访谈录

通过跟范发迪教授的访谈,探讨了他在科学史研究方面的一些独特经历.范发迪教授围绕着他的代表作《清代在华的英国博物学家:科学、帝国与文化遭遇》一书,向我们介绍了他进入科学史研究的契机、博物学的选题、相关研究方法等问题,并对未来的科学史研究作了一些展望,最后介绍了他近期所做的一些研究工作.     

在信息化社会，名词规范更重要——访两院院士李德仁先生

在全国科学技术名词审定委员会的委员名单里,有很多德高望重的院士,他们治学严谨、博识敏思,为名词审定工作作出了突出贡献.李德仁院士即是其中一位,他是当年中国很年轻的双院士[中国科学院院士(学部委员,1991年),中国工程院院士(1994年)],也是全国科技名词委第四届、第五届委员会委员,测绘学名词审定委员会副主任.在与李院士联系时,适逢他即将来北京开会,于是采访得以成行.     

Fine-Tuning, Quantum Mechanics and Cosmological Artificial Selection

Jan Greben criticized fine-tuning by taking seriously the idea that “nature is quantum mechanical”. I argue that this quantum view is limited, and that fine-tuning is real, in the sense that our current physical models require fine-tuning. Second, I examine and clarify many difficult and fundamental issues raised by Rüdiger Vaas’ comments on Cosmological Artificial Selection.     

无意识真的没有意识吗——由塞尔的关联原则引发的意识和意向性关系的思考

塞尔从分析无意识的概念入手,提出意识和意向性相互依赖的关联原则,反对当代意向性自然化过程中意识和意向性分离的倾向。许多心灵哲学家和认知科学家由此展开了意识和意向性关系大讨论。这场争论是当代意向性理论发展的必然过程,一定程度上深化了对心理现象的认识,对心理学、认知科学的发展有重要启示意义。     

Possible Implications of the Quantum Theory of Gravity: An Introduction to the Meduso-Anthropic Principle

If we assume that the constants of nature fluctuate near the singularity when a black hole forms (assuming, also, that physical black holes really do form singularities) then a process of evolution of universes becomes possible. We explore the implications of such a process for the origin of life, interstellar travel, and the human future.     

因果性、魏玛文化、与量子力学--析保罗·福曼的科学社会史思想

美国当代著名科学史与科学社会学家保罗·福曼(Paul Forman)曾于20世纪60年代末就魏玛德国物理学家为何易于接受量子力学的非因果性特征做了深入的社会文化分析,指出魏玛文化中的非理性主义思想对促使物理学家思想转变起到重要推动作用等看法,在西方科学史界引起普遍关注和争议.本文分析福曼研究的时代背景及研究方法,指出福曼的工作不仅在20世纪70年代西方科学史研究从内史向外史的转向中起到重要的推动作用,而且也为70年代诞生于西欧的科学知识社会学提供了一个微观层次上的经典范例.     

名词工作：看起来容易，做起来难！

陈运泰院士,著名的地球物理学家,中国地震局地球物理研究所名誉所长、北京大学地球与空间科学学院院长,在地震波理论、地震震源理论和数字地震学研究中做出了突出贡献,曾获全国科学大会奖、国家自然科学三等奖、国家科技进步奖三等奖等多种奖项.陈院士曾担任全国科学技术名词审定委员会第三届、第四届委员,现任第五届常委.     

因果性、直观性、个体性与量子力学——试析保罗·福曼关于魏玛文化与量子力学发展之关系

量子力学具有许多经典力学所没有的特征——比如非因果性、非直观性、非个体性等，也由于这些特征引起人们的极大兴趣及广泛讨论。然而，这些特征在多大程度上是理论本身所具有的或是人们所希望赋予的却很少有人注意到。美国当代著名科学史家及社会学家保罗·福曼(Paul Forman)从科学社会学的角度对此作了深入的分析并提出量子力学的发祥地——德国魏玛文化对理论的表述特征产生过重要影响等独到见解。本文拟对福曼的观点进行介招和分析。     

名词工作要体现时代要求——访中国金属学会翁宇庆理事长

翁宇庆,1940年出生,教授级高级工程师、俄罗斯工程院院士、国家科技部重大基础研究项目首席科学家.曾荣获国家发明奖、全国科学技术大会奖,冶金部科学技术进步奖.现任中国金属学会理事长、第二届冶金学名词审定委员会主任.     

Systems of Logical Systems: Neuroscience and Quantum Logic

Nervous systems are intricately organized on many levels of analysis.The intricate organization invites the development of mathematicalsystems that reflect its logical structure. Particular logical structures and choices of invariants within those structures narrowthe ranges of perceptions that are possible and sensorimotorcoordination that may be selected. As in quantum logic, choicesaffect outcomes. Some of the mathematical tools in use in quantum logic havealready also been used in neurobiology, including the mathematicsof ordered structures and a product like a tensor product. Astheoretical neurobiology is developed on its own foundation, wemay expect a rich dialogue between theoretical neurobiology andquantum logic.