Alan Turing and the Other Theory of Computing and Can a Machine Be Conscious?

Explore a thought-provoking lecture by Turing Award winner Manuel Blum on consciousness, computational models, and free will. Delve into neuroscientist Bernard Baars's Global Workspace Model of the brain and its implications for understanding consciousness through a formal Turing-Machine-like computational model. Discover how these concepts relate to the possibility of free will in a deterministic world. Learn about Blum's pioneering work in theoretical computer science, including his contributions to computational complexity theory, cryptography, and program checking. Gain insights from his interdisciplinary background spanning electrical engineering, neurophysiology, and mathematical logic. This 1-hour 20-minute talk, presented at the Alan Turing Institute, offers a unique perspective on the intersection of computer science, neuroscience, and philosophy.