Colloqium #∞
Nov 13, 2024 at 7:00 pm CET
Description
We will talk about whether consciousness can only be developed by carbon based life forms, which have no alternative, on this planet, in the goldylock zone - that we know of. It is even more unlikely, with our current understanding of life, to find it off planet, with speculations about silicone as alternative, for non-goldylock zone planets. But silicone does not have the chemical properties do qualify, at least not in long chains.
“Silicon, atomic number of 14, more than twice the size of carbon, shares a group in the periodic table with carbon, can also form four valence bonds, and also bonds to itself readily, though generally in the form of crystal lattices […].” (Wikipedia on carbon based life, see also crystallography lecture in phencoco archive)
Where then, and how then, can consciousness be ‘produced’, by something other than a carbon-based life form?
Is it unlikely or quite possible, to find consciousness in other materialistic environments than carbon?
The explanation will of course try to integrate all the computational tries to reach this goal. Lets see how it goes. (Outside Lecture on Monday 11.11.24, in German*, by S. Mebs, he who calls himself a Kohlenstoff-Radikalinski)
*And as always - if language is a difficulty, the PhenCoCo-Team will be happy to translate.
‘Consciousness’ is a term for human capabilities to phenomenologically feel, as well as rationally deliberate, at the same time, without any scientist ever being able to satisfactorily separate the postulated entities of body and mind, in their explanations.
In light of current events, it might be good to remind ourselves, that it is also a term referring to the metaphorical inner voice guiding us in moral situations.
We will probably touch on the US elections and the blatant criminal having been voted in as president, on Tuesday, as well.
Note on topic combinations:
The regular’s tables are philosophical/ scientific dinners for everyone and all topics are suggestions. Still to converge on topics beforehand means better discussions. Importance and current events flow into what people want to talk about as well. Thusly we have two distinct impulses for the upcoming dinner.