Neuroscience, quantum indeterminism and the Cartesian soul.

Détails

ID Serval
serval:BIB_093B31575FD4
Type
Article: article d'un périodique ou d'un magazine.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Titre
Neuroscience, quantum indeterminism and the Cartesian soul.
Périodique
Brain and Cognition
Auteur⸱e⸱s
Clarke P.G.
ISSN
1090-2147 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0278-2626
Statut éditorial
Publié
Date de publication
2014
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
84
Numéro
1
Pages
109-117
Langue
anglais
Notes
Publication types: Journal ArticlePublication Status: ppublish
Résumé
Quantum indeterminism is frequently invoked as a solution to the problem of how a disembodied soul might interact with the brain (as Descartes proposed), and is sometimes invoked in theories of libertarian free will even when they do not involve dualistic assumptions. Taking as example the Eccles-Beck model of interaction between self (or soul) and brain at the level of synaptic exocytosis, I here evaluate the plausibility of these approaches. I conclude that Heisenbergian uncertainty is too small to affect synaptic function, and that amplification by chaos or by other means does not provide a solution to this problem. Furthermore, even if Heisenbergian effects did modify brain functioning, the changes would be swamped by those due to thermal noise. Cells and neural circuits have powerful noise-resistance mechanisms, that are adequate protection against thermal noise and must therefore be more than sufficient to buffer against Heisenbergian effects. Other forms of quantum indeterminism must be considered, because these can be much greater than Heisenbergian uncertainty, but these have not so far been shown to play a role in the brain.
Pubmed
Web of science
Création de la notice
30/01/2014 8:52
Dernière modification de la notice
20/08/2019 12:31
Données d'usage