Consciousness as a Coherence-Inducing Operator

Explore a theory of consciousness as an operator in this 27-minute conference talk from the Models of Consciousness Conferences. Delve into the concept of consciousness as a physically implemented transition function acting on a representational substrate, controlling its temporal evolution. Examine the idea that consciousness, like software running on a digital computer, can be characterized as a law rather than an object or thing. Investigate the hypothesis that consciousness represents the simplest algorithm discoverable by multicellular substrates, capable of imposing function approximation through increased representational coherence. Analyze the properties of this proposed operator, aiming to recover the phenomenology of consciousness and move towards a specification for computational simulations. Gain insights into the causal structure, genesis, and function of consciousness from this thought-provoking presentation.