Consciousness: from philosophy to neuroscience
 
Seminar organized by Daniel Kiper & Guests

   Fall semester 2023

Location: Y35 F 32

    Schedule: Thursday, 5.15-7.00pm

This course is intended for all students interested in the topic of consciousness and the NCC, i.e. the Neural Correlate of Consciousness.

The course's main language is english, but discussions and questions in german are also possible.

Some, but maybe not all, lectures will be recorded and the podcasts will be posted here. Since the course is supposed to be highly interactive, we strongly encourage

physical attendance.

Requirements:

Most topics will be covered in articles and notes available on this web site, or that will be distributed during the course.

Here is a useful book "Philosophy of mind: a beginner's guide" by I. Ravenscroft that has been cleaned up and is searchable. In German, and in English

Successful completion of the course yields three credits, the details of the evaluation modalities will be posted here.


21.9. Introduction, definition of consciousness as "qualia"
This lecture had no slides and was not recorded...
Here is the Nagel paper (what is it like to be a bat?)

29.9 In search of the NCC : Visual experiments
Here is the recording.

5.10 End of visual experiments. Here is the recording.
Here some of the papers we talked about:
Heeger (binoc).
Heeger MIB
Binoc. fusion (Moutoussis et al.)
Binoc. in monkeys (Leopold et al.)

12.10 Electrical stimulation, patients.
Here is the recording.

Topic for the first essay:
"The blindsight results led many people to claim that V1 is the main NCC (of visual consciousness). Expose two distinct arguments that
contradict this view"
Your essay should not exceed 200 words. Send it as a PDF, with the file name "Yourlastname_first essay.pdf" Send it to me (kiper@ini.uzh.ch), with the Subject line  "First essay"
Deadline : Thursday October 26, 5pm.

19.10 Patients. Free will.
Here are the free will slides.
Here is the recording.

26.10 A few more stange conditions...hallucinations and more.

Here are the recordings :
part 1
and
part 2

2.11 Star of computational models (A. Nedergaard). Information amd IIT
Here is the recording.

9.11 IIT
Here is the recording

16.11 End of IIT (no recording, sorry...).

Topic for the second essay:
"Give two good reasons to claim that both hemispheres of split-brain patients are conscious"
Your essay should not exceed 200 words. Send it as a PDF, with the file name "Yourlastname_second_essay.pdf" Send it to me (kiper@ini.uzh.ch), with the Subject line  "Second essay"
Deadline : Thursday November 30, 5pm.

23.11 Complexity and AI
Here is the recording  Sorry, I forgot to stop during the break, you can skip 10 min when you get there.
Here are slides that Xander has used in his  IIT lectures.

30.11 Computability and Gödel _ Lecture by Jan Hohenheim
Here is the recording

7.12 Strange loops (Jan Hohenheim).
Here is the recording.

14.12 Quantum physics and consciousness (lecture by Sri Vasudha Hemadri Bhotla)
No recording (computer crashed).

Here is the topic for the thrid and lest essay:
"What fact or concept discussed in the course either changed or confirmed the definition of consciousness you had at the course's start, explain why"

Your essay should not exceed 150 words. Send it as a PDF, with the file name "Yourlastname_third_essay.pdf" Send it to me (kiper@ini.uzh.ch), with the Subject line  "Third essay"
Deadline : Thursday January 11, 2024, 5pm.

Here is a spreadsheet with the grades for the first and second essays (listed by ID Number). Contact me if you do not find yourself in that list.