Book Reviewed: The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind, by Michio Kaku
In this book, City University of New York Professor Michio Kaku, a well-respected theoretical physicist has discussed our current understanding of human mind and consciousness, and where it is heading in the next few decades. He has followed his life-long interest in biology of mind in this exhaustive literature work after his discussion with leading neurobiologists. Despite the fact that his field of expertise lies in theoretical physics, this book is written with scientific accuracy and solid understanding of the subject.
Using MRI scans, biologists can now read thoughts of our brains; a totally paralyzed patient with a microchip inserted into the patient's brain can literally do anything a normal person could do via a computer. In the first part of the book, the author defines consciousness and the various types of consciousness that exists in this world. The second part of the book looks at computers that record electrical signals emanating from brain and decode them into familiar digital language. Thus brain and computer can be directly interfaced (brain-machine interface) to control any object around it. The author discusses with examples to illustrate how new technology has helped scientists to record memories, mind reading, videotaping our dreams and telekinetically control objects around us (mind controlling matter), and perhaps enhance our intelligence. In the third part, the author introduces us into alternate forms of consciousness, observed in dreams; drug-induced state; mental illness; and non-human consciousness of robots and aliens. There is an interesting section (appendix) that summarizes quantum consciousness and describes how consciousness and the laws of physics overlap to make physical reality a coherent whole. This is one of the best sections of the book I have read where the author shares his expertize as a theoretical physicist. This part is lucidly written and I enjoyed reading it.
According to the author, consciousness is a process of creating a model of the world using multiple feedback loops in various parameters (spacetime, temperature, pressure and in relation to others) to find friends, food, shelter, and other survival necessities. Level 0 consciousness that exist among plants which doesn't have nervous structure but responds to heat, light and pressure. Level-1 consciousness exists at the lower side of evolution where the central nervous system is primitive (brain structure: brain stem) and reacts only in space but not time (no sense of past or future). Level-2 consciousness that exists among mammalian systems where the nervous system is evolved (brain structure: limbic system) which has a well-defined social structure. Level-3 consciousness exists only in humans where the brain structures consists of prefrontal cortex, and operate in space and time, especially future: Feedback loops evaluate the past and simulate the future. It follows from this that self-awareness is creating a model of the world and simulating the future in which you appear.
Another sticky question that is addressed while discussing reality is the concept of free will, does it really exist. The author concludes that it may exist but not the way we think; that we are the masters of our fate. The brain influenced by unconscious factors that predisposes us to make certain choices ahead of time even if we think we made the decision ourselves. The end of the fate is not written yet because the effects of quantum reality and chaos theory preclude strict determinism.
I have rated this book five stars since it reads flawlessly. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the future of mind and how artificial intelligence will control our destiny.
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