Customer Reviews

Evolving the Mind: On the Nature of Matter and the Origin of Consciousness

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Cairns-Smith is a reader in Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and so understandably his approach to the topic of consciousness is a very chemical one. The book starts with a discussion of chemistry and physics, moves on to DNA and cellular mechanics, then primitive organisms, before discussing neural behaviour and consciousness itself. Everything is presented in a clear, fluent way with plenty of diagrams, so this book is easy to read and understand - but at the same time doesn't skimp on detail.

The author presents us with the idea that an increasing complexity of behaviour, the pinnacle of which is human consciousness, is a result of an increase in the complexity of the underlying chemical machinery. But when it comes to our brain Cairns-Smith claims that there is more going on here than merely massive interaction between a huge number of specialised neural cells. He claims that neurons are so precisely specialised that they are capable of tapping into some of the most basic physical properties of matter - namely quantum effects - bringing the book back to its opening chapters' discussion of the physical nature of matter. While this is an elegant argument, ultimately I believe it does not convince - it seems overly fashionable and lacking evidence. The history of the philosophy of mind is littered with metaphors for consciousness based on the topical technology of the day. The brain has been seen as a hydraulic device, a telephone exchange, a digital computer and now Cairns-Smith proposes the metaphor of the very latest quantum physical phenomenon - a Bose-Einstein condensate. This weak conclusion does not detract from the rest of the interesting discussion in the book and anyone with an interest in cognitive science or the philosophy of mind would enjoy it.

"Evolving the Mind" is an excellent book about the material basis of consciousness from an unorthodox but thoroughly clear-headed and scientific point of view. The style is conversational, accessible, and entertaining. The discussion focuses on the essential concepts and questions, avoiding various philosophical "isms" (e.g. functionalism, dualism, etc.) that tend to inflame intellectual prejudices and cloud the real issues.

There are many recent books about scientific theories of consciousness (some very good), but frankly many of them are saying nearly the same thing: consciousness is to be identified or associated with some particular aspects of computation (e.g. planning, decision-making, self-representation, etc.) among neurons in the brain. In these theories, while random noise is understood to affect processes at the sub-cellular level, the brain at the functional level is assumed to operate as a deterministic computing machine. This assumption is present even in current sophisticated theories involving chaotic dynamics, parallel distributed processing, or feedback (a.k.a. "re-entrant connections").

Because Cairns-Smith's writing style is conversational, open-minded, and non-confrontational, some experts (e.g. neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists, computer scientists) are liable to miss the powerful challenge to mainstream approaches to a fundamental theory of consciousness running through his book. This main point has two parts. First, based on the correspondence between conscious experiences and evolutionary fitness (e.g. fire feels bad, food tastes good), consciousness must have evolved. If it evolved, that means (according to evolutionary theory) it must have some effect on the organism's physical body or behavior. Second, since in contemporary neuroscience models the dynamics of the brain are completely determined by the local "mechanical" action (by electro-chemical signals) of neurons, conscious feelings cannot have any effect on the brain's behavior. Various ways have been tried to wiggle out of this, but it's a real problem--conscious feelings aren't allowed to have any effects on the organism's structure or behavior, but that's inconsistent with their evolution by natural selection. As Cairns-Smith details, this problem was clearly spelled out by William James before the solution favored by Cairns-Smith, using 20th century physics, was even conceivable.

To arrive at his outline of a solution to his impasse, Cairns-Smith starts from a lovely historical introduction to relevant ideas from physics, chemistry and neurobiology. Another reviewer dismissed this approach as a mere bias due to Cairns-Smith's background in chemistry. That's an unfair conclusion, because Cairns-Smith builds a strong case that the physical composition of the brain, and not just its functional organization, is important for understanding consciousness. Ultimately Cairns-Smith proposes that large-scale quantum states may provide a substrate for consciousness in the brain together with a resolution to the problems faced by classical models. Again, another reviewer dismisses this as merely the latest in a line of "fad...metaphors" for the mind in terms of the latest technological device. I disagree; I don't think that reviewer fully engaged the arguments put forward in the book.

I somewhat agree with the reviewer who complained that the book lacked a conclusive final chapter. The last chapter is a dialogue between a proponent and a critic (said to be based on a conversation with Francis Crick) rather than a summary and conclusion. This is in line with the atmosphere of the book as a free inquiry into the possibilities, as opposed to a dogmatic adherence to a pre-determined conclusion. Also, the book ends just at the point where one would hope to find a detailed neurobiological model. That's probably as it should be, though, given the variety of possibilities and the lack of specific evidence. But again experts are liable to think that this openness and vagueness justifies their belief that the quantum mind hypothesis is implausible or already ruled out. (A technical example: many scientists consider that macroscopic quantum effects cannot occur at room temperature in the brain, a viewpoint buttressed with calculations by Tegmark. These calculations apply under equilibrium conditions, but not under conditions when energy is pumped into a system, such as the ATP energy continually pumped through biological cells. A rigorous model by Frohlich shows how the kind of quantum states proposed by Cairns-Smith can arise in biological tissue at room temperature. Cairns-Smith covers the Frohlich model, but does not bog down his discussion by emphasizing that the Frohlich model effectively answers the brain temperature objection.)

The reputation of quantum theories of consciousness often suffers from an association with new age philosophies or anti-scientific mystical attitudes. Among the more reputable proponents of a quantum mind model is Roger Penrose. However, the complexity and subtlety of his argument can leave his conclusions in doubt even for readers with an open mind and some relevant math, physics, or logic background. Like Penrose, Cairns-Smith never wavers from scientific rigor. This is especially remarkable since a major thrust of his book is to make a historical case for boldly imaginative thinking, highlighting the controversial additions of "spooky" concepts to the scientific world-view. Ultimately, testing the quantum mind hypothesis will require models that specify the interaction between putative quantum states and the well-established neural machinery of action potentials and synaptic transmission. "Evolving the Mind" provides an excellent background for evaluating such specific neurobiological models.

I highly recommend this book, whether to introduce the issues to a novice, or to loosen up an expert who thinks he already has it all figured out.

There was a joke about a student who summarized the knowledge of a course into a series of sentences such as "Read only your good books in vacation" (Colors of the light spectrum in order: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.) He then summarized these into words and continued this until one final word. It seems he got to final exams and forgot the word! Arrgh!

Well, I just finished reading this book and it managed to summarize and integrate all physics, evolution, chemistry and brain physiology into 300 pages without leaving out any detail however arcane. I will now reduce this to even less, so you will have something more convenient to forget.

The first 95% is background material starting with forces, fields, uncertainty, mass, etc. and leading up to electrons, atoms, water molecules, lipids, and arriving at life which, in the case of the E. coli, already has modest nerve-like capabilities so it can approach food and flee poisons. It goes on to show how nerve cells not much advanced from E. coli are constructed and act to assemble three dimensional images from eye signals, etc. This is to the painful detail of enumerating the parts of the brain and how they interact.

Now we are all familiar with nonsense philosophy where someone who has been exposed to little knowledge nevertheless comes to some fantastic conclusion such as "maybe the entire Universe is an electron in some larger scale Universe". Such speculation, although possibly true, is not interesting because it is not based on any evidence, however flawed and slight.

This book also proceeds to such a fantastic conclusion, but with evidence that is neither obviously flawed nor slight. The problem that it finally addresses is that there is no place in the brain which is connected to all others and which becomes significantly active during consciousness. Such a place would have a huge amount of computing to do to account for our feeling of awareness and would therefore be easily located.

The fantastic conclusion is that there is another kind of activity going on involving probably the white matter in the brain and the cell walls. This activity is at the sub-atomic level and, because of the fact that such activities (as shown by the first 95%) can act over large distances instantaneously, it has the potential of integrating all brain cells. The subconscious brain, i.e. the primitive part constructed of neurons using chemistry and electricity, does the work. It integrates the signals from our sensors and coordinates our movements. It wants food and revenge and fears predators. It spells words and remembers faces. But it has evolved in this environment of atomic forces and uses these for integration, just as the flower uses the bee for pollination. We perceive this as consciousness. This is required so we can plan, chose undesirable short-term actions for long-term gain, avoid the truck while riding the bike, etc.

The book then seems to end without a last chapter. I supply a possible summary of one here.

You can turn the gas off, and the flame will die. But when you turn it on again, the flame comes back to life. When the real brain feels the need for consciousness to resolve some fear, it can turn it on while suppressing input/output and benefit from having the dream engage in scenario evaluations. When it feels the need for more tangible results, all systems are go and we wake up. But to the consciousness this is not much different from the dream. Finally, all this takes energy and it becomes necessary to shut down to refuel and repair. You can't dream all the time.

Where does the consciousness go when it is off? The same place the flame goes. Out.

Where does the flame go when the stove is gone? Permanently out. (And it doesn't care.)

A most thoughtful book indeed, the best parts being the impressive summaries he provides of cellular function - particularly the dynamic chemistry of proteins (he is a chemist). Subsequently, Cairns-Smith expands to neurology, advocating that the neuron has added nothing to the basic cell but the action potential and a few more exotic neurotransmitters.

Consciousness began to evolve when a pre-adaptive function of some sort of "feeling" arrived as the phenotype of a genetic mutation. Cairns-Smith's theme, however, is that basic synapses and neurochemistry need extra help to produce consciousness, and he injects a little mystery into the equation. The author is setting up a scenario in which he can explain consciousness on the basis of quantum phenomenon. He has no evidence, nothing to test - but is bursting with string theory-type speculations, complete with multiple universes, half dead cats, etc. Meanwhile, he lines up the basic science of quantum mechanics in as impressive a manner as he did proteins - complete with Feynman diagrams.

According to the author, origin of quantum consciousness is located in sub-atomic particles in white matter (axons, glial cells, and astrocytes) instantaneously communicating to the multiple parallel circuits in gray matter. The analogy is to a laser or a Bose-Einstein condensate in which - when a threshold of stimulation is reached - the signals become coherent and consciousness is reached.

My favorite definition of consciousness recognizes there is not a specific area of the brain where it can be said that consciousness resides. Instead, consciousness results when communication and integration of diverse and separate brain areas are coordinated in time. This definition, general as it is, functions quite nicely without resorting to the current quantum fadmeme, and I think I will keep it.

Regardless, the book is a wealth of advanced knowledge in biochemistry, neurology, and quantum physics - not appropriate for the casual reader - and well worth one's time.

I must say I was let down with this book. Cairns-Smith is very cool when it comes to prebiotic chemistry. His clay hypothesis is fascinating and he is generous enough to share it with we unwashed masses. But this book, besides its general science appeal (I did give it 3 stars after all) falls flat. He starts out making valid references to cellular mechanisms. His description of bacterial flagellar mechanics is ripping. However, after he struts his prowess in the opening exposition of biochemistry, he heads straight away into nonsenical, outdated, metaphysics. This is not that old of a book (1996). Toward the end, where he babbles on about Schrodinger's equation and the quantum correlates of consciousness, one gets the feeling Cairns-Smith is making a big production, being coy about materialistic cause and effect neurology, because he sincely wants very badly for there to be some spooky chi substance hidden away deep in the cell's machinery that causes brains to be conscious. Schrodinger certainly made a sensible bridge between quantum mechanics and cellular biology in his 1944 book "What is Life?" Cairns-Smith doesn't even come close. In the end he really adds nothing, just taking us on a joy ride around the park. In this sense, this book (it's no synoptic pamphlet) is a bit of a waste of one's time because it leads to a blind ally. Having said all this I still enjoyed reading it to a degree. Cairns-Smith covers a wide array of theory, he just doesn't do a particularly good job of weaving it into a fabric that keeps us warm on those chill intellectual nights. For general science purposes this is a pretty decent read. The serious cognition hound will find better grazing in other pastures however.

Book selectively covers modern physics, protein and neuro-biology, evolution, and theories of consciousness. The hypothesis is that consciousness is the 3rd system to develop for organism control, the others being chemical transmitters, and the nervous system. Hypothesis is buttressed by evolutionary arguments, and a discussion of quantum physics, showing that quantum physics is every bit as strange as consciousness, in many respects is not understood any better, and could plausibly be linked to consciousness. I was not entirely happy with the discussion of quantum physics, but that is a tough subject. I know the chapter on the structure of the brain could have been done much better. And certainly you should not read this book if you aren't interested in the science for itself: had he wanted to, Cairns-Smith could have written a much smaller book to get his thoughts on consciousness (which are interesting) properly presented. For those who just enjoy reading about science, let me put in a plug for Life Matrix, Biography of Water by Philip Ball.

Review by Oscar EstŽvez-Uscanga Dept. of Medical Physics, Academic Medical Center Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amstedam, The Netherlands. A.C. Cairns-Smith, Evolving the Mind, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1996; 329 pages including References and Index. Contains 66 figures (plus 21 illustrations, diagrams or sketches included in the text). ISBN 0 521 40220 4 hardback; price £16.95 (US$24.95). Consciousness continues to be a popular subject for book writers: a quick search using the catalogues of a WWW-ÔBookstoreÕ that features more than a million books in its ÔshelvesÕ retrieved in excess of 200 titles. This number included the full gamut: from quack books intending to ÔexplainÕ the inner workings of your consciousness and how you can either enhance it or suppress it (as the case may be), all the way up to serious philosophical treatises and scientific studies of experts on the matter. Cairns-SmithÕs book can be placed near the upper end of this range: it is a serious attempt to explain the nature of consciousness by taking a constructive approach to the subject. Indeed, the sub-title: ÔOn the nature of matter and the origin of consciousnessÕ, already reveals the approach taken by the author. The assumption is that an understanding of the phenomenon of consciousness requires an understanding of the nature of matter in general, not only biology and neuroscience, but bio-chemistry and indeed basic chemistry as well as fundamental physics. There is, of course, a good rationale for taking this position for, when I say: ÔI understand ...Õ something, what I mean is that I can explain it in terms of something else I already knew. The understanding and acquisition of knowledge is indeed a constructive activity. Because of his position, the writer adopts a Ôbottom-upÕ treatment to explain his ideas and make up his point. He goes on to deal, in successive chapters, with some important issues of fundamental physics, (bio-) chemistry and biology (Chapters 1 and 2) and, building upon this, he continues with some basic subjects of neuroscience and neurophysiology (Chapters 3 and 4) to arrive at some facts of psychology relevant to the phenomenon of ÔconsciousnessÕ (Chapters 5 and 6) Indeed, the word ÔconsciousnessÕ doesnÕt turn up in his book until page 118! In the next chapters the narrative acquires a more philosophical character, touching on some profound epistemological questions in Chapters 7 and 8, which in turn allows the author to culminate in Chapter 9 with what he believes can reasonably be said at this moment on the nature of consciousness if it is to be explainend in terms of our more fundamental knowledge of Matter in general. Chapter 10, finally, is a well thought review of the important issues touched up in the previous chapters and is written in the form of a conversation between two ÔreadersÕ of his book: ÔAdvoÕ, who seems to agree with the author and tries to explain the key issues to fend off the criticism of ÔKritÕ, who is not so much convinced by Cairns-SmithÕs arguments. The amount of space devoted to each of the different subjects covered in the book reveals the heavy accent the author puts on understanding ÔMatterÕ to explain his argument: Chapter one alone takes a full 52 pages while Chapters two to five use between 30 to 40 pages each. These chapters form what IÕd call the Ônature of matterÕ part. The chapters on the rest of the book, from seven to ten, where ÔconsciousnessÕ itself is the issue, are all shorter and take around 20 pages each. If you intend to read this book, donÕt be impatient and make the mistake of going directly to the last Chapters: The point of the author is only made if you read through from Chapters one to ten! I confess that I made this mistake: out of curiosity I went ahead and tried to read -and understand- Chapters 9 and 10. To no avail: The bookÕs argument really is of a constructive nature. In the view of Cairns-Smith ÔconsciousnessÕ can only be understood and explained as an essential (and useful in the light of evolution) property of higher living matter and that this property is itself firmly rooted in the most fundamental principles of matter as we know it. Indeed the title of Chapter 9 (Quantum theories of consciousness) unveils to some extent his position -although doesnÕt quite manage to convince. Once you have finished reading chapters 1 to 9 through, you will be rewarded by being really in a position to appreciate and enjoy the culminating Chapter 10. Here, finally, youÕll understand the whole and will be able to agree (with Advo) or disagree (with Krit) on the merits of the thesis put forward by Cairns-Smith. I found myself agreeing more with Krit than with Advo while, paradoxically, I actually found AdvoÕs arguments more cogent and better founded. This is not a criticism of the book, but rather a recommendation: that even if it doesnÕt convince you, it will make you think and realise the possible relevance of some very basic facts and laws of Nature: An understanding of the ÔConsciousnessÕ phenomenon may require more than only an understanding of the brainÕs workings as seen through Neurophysiology and Psychology or even Epistemology. Consciousness could be, after all, just the latest finding that Nature added to its variety of life control mechanisms. To be sure, I didnÕt find many errata in the book -although I wasnÕt exhaustive in checking all however: a reference to the Crick and Koch article in Scientific American gives the wrong page (it should be p.110 instead of p.152), a misplaced reference at the bottom of the text of fig. 4.6 and nowhere to be found ÔarrowsÕ in fig. 4.5 as mentioned in p. 135; but these are really only minor faults. The ÔexplanationÕ of color visionÕs ÔtrivarianceÕ (i.e. the fact that three variables are enough to describe any color) is wrong by being too simplistic. A more serious mistake, and one you wouldnÕt expect from somebody trained in chemistry, is in the text of figure 1.6 in page 30, where it says that Ô600 K¡ corresponds to 6273 C¡Õ! Anyhow, these errata arenÕt serious nor do they detract from the possible value this book can have for anyone seriously interested in the subject of ÔconsciousnessÕ. dr. O.EstŽvez-Uscanga, Professor of Medical Information Science. Dpt. of Medical Physics, Academic Medical Center. University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Feelings are the Mind's Dynamic Sensors towards Reallity, between them and Mind, Mind's Reallity Modell, is dynamically generated. Fellings are the result of Evolution, modullating and beeing modulated by the Conscious and Unconscious Mind's Systems. The Four Postulates of Consciousness are that it's a physical effect, not difficult to produce in rudimentary form. It's now created by Specialiced Brain Structures divided in Conscious Control Systems and purely Neuronal Computing. But it's not simply a Communication Channel. Three coupled systems can explain the Mechanisms of Consciousness: Chemical Computing: ancient and purely Chemical computing systems. Telegraphyic Computing: Neuron-Axon-Synapse Computer. And Conscious integrated Control processing data from differnt brain areas, Enormous memory Store and Processor for Simple Deccision Making. Consciousness is like a Macroquantum effect, a HiperNeuron System, an Integration of the infinite possibilities in the Zillion Concert of Boson's Energy States that Modulated take place in Neurons and Gliar Cells of Our Mind. Mind is an Exceptional Kind of Matter, still Beyond our Modelling Capacity and Analithic Tools. The only trooth is that it's the result of evolution, intentionally or as a side effect. That we are "Conscious" is an Ineludible Matter. Perhaps as closer we get to explan scientifically it's mechanisms as farer we get from it's real meaning, in a sort of indeterminancy principle.