2022/03/20 by Pedro R. Resende, Resende, Pedro · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #81P05 (Primary) 68T01 #91E99 (Secondary) #Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI) #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Neurons and Cognition (q-bio.NC) #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2203.10602
openalex publication_date 2022/03/20 · openalex created_date 2022/04/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
I propose that qualia are physical because they are directly observable, and revisit the contentious link between consciousness and quantum measurements from a new perspective -- one that does not rely on observers or wave function collapse but instead treats physical measurements as fundamental in a sense resonant with Wheeler's it-from-bit. Building on a mathematical definition of measurement space in physics, I reinterpret it as a model of qualia, effectively equating the measurement problem of quantum mechanics with the hard problem of consciousness. The resulting framework falls within panpsychism, and offers potential solutions to the combination problem. Moreover, some of the mathematical structure of measurement spaces, taken for granted in physics, needs justification for qualia, suggesting that the apparent solidity of physical reality is deeply rooted in how humans process information.