Physics From Consciousness

Don Hoffman

Thanks to Bruce Bennett, Jon Merzel, Chetan Prakash, Phat Vu

Plan

• Consciousness fundamental

• Conscious observer, agent

• Fundamental postulates

• Dynamics of agents: 1D, 2D, 3D

• Agents -> Physics: Symmetries

• Relativistic spin half particles

• Discrete space-time

ScienceTop Open Questions

• What is the universe made of?

• What is the biological basis of consciousness?

McGinnMind

We know that brains are the de facto causal basis of consciousness, but we

have, it seems, no understanding whatever of how this can be so.

Postulate 1Ontological Postulate

All that exists is consciousness and its contents.

Mind-Body Problem

• Physicalist: Describe precisely how consciousness arises from, or is identical to, certain types of physical systems.

• Conscious Realist: Describe precisely how conscious agents construct physical objects and their properties.

Shape From Motion

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•Input: 2D motions of dots

•Output: 3D cylinder in rigid motion

•Ullman: 3 views of 4 points

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Ullman’s SFM Theorem

• The views almost surely have no rigid 3D interpretations.

• If the views have any rigid interpretations, then they almost surely have precisely 2.

Given 3 orthographic views of 4 non-coplanar points

Ullman’s SFM Observer

Conscious Observer

X, Y measurable spaces

E, S eventsp measurable mapq markovian kernel

Observer Thesis

Every synchronic perceptual capacity, regardless of modality,

can be described as an instance of a conscious observer.

Fundamental Conscious Act:

Create new conscious experiences.

NEW

GIVEN

Fundamental Conscious Act

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Postulate 2Experience Postulate

Conscious observers create new experiences.

Conscious Observers &

Macroscopic Physical Objects

• Objects

• Color

• Motion

• Shape

Multimodal User InterfaceMUI

The conscious perceptual experiences of an agent are a multimodal user interface

between that agent and an objective world.

PinkerHow the Mind Works

We are organisms, not angels, and our minds are organs, not pipelines to the truth. Our minds evolved by natural

selection to solve problems that were life-and-death matters to our ancestors, not

to commune with correctness.

Postulate 3Action Postulate

Conscious agents act by moving on a state space of conscious observers.

Postulate 4Physics Postulate

Physics represents stabilities of the dynamics of conscious

agents.

Dynamics In One Dimension

•Approach: Stable: Invariant measure

•Depart: Unstable: No invariant measure

Dynamics In One Dimension

Dynamics In One Dimension

Dynamics In One Dimension

Transition Probability

Look Probability

• Nearer Agent --> Higher probability

• Agent Distances --> No-Look probability

Dynamics In Two Dimensions

Dynamics In Two Dimensions

Dynamics In Two Dimensions

Dynamics In Two Dimensions

Agent Dynamics In 2D

Dynamics In Two Dimensions

Dynamics In Two Dimensions

Agent Dynamics in 3D

Agent Dynamics in 3D

Agent Dynamics in 3D

Particle Accelerator Experiment

Eight Agents in 3D

Agent Dynamics in 4D

Postulate 5Unity Postulate

Conscious agents in stable dynamics create a new unified consciousness.

Agent Dynamics in 3D

Spin Transformation: SL(2,C)

Spin Action on Agents

Stereographic ProjectionTo Argand Plane

Celestial Sphere

Lorentz Invariance

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Jonathan Doolin

Spin To Minkowski

Spin To Minkowski

Spin Theorem 1

Every spin transformation corresponds to a unique restricted Lorentz transformation;

conversely every restricted Lorentz transformation corresponds to two spin

transformations, one being the negative of the other.

Spin Theorem 2

Every unitary spin transformation corresponds to a unique proper rotation of S+; conversely every proper rotation of S+ corresponds to two unitary spin transformations, one being the negative of

the other.

Unitary Spin in Euler Angles

Lorentz Boost

w = relativistic doppler factorr = log w is the rapidity

v = tanh r is the velocity factor

Internal SpinNo Effect on Minkowski

Lee SmolinThree Roads To Quantum Gravity

The apparent smoothness of space and time are illusions; behind them is a world composed of discrete events, which can

be counted. (p.62)

Brian GreeneThe Fabric of the Cosmos

... space, like electrons, comes in discrete, indivisible chunks. (p.491)

... the very fabric of space and time is composed of more fundamental spaceless

and timeless entities. (p.493)

Physics From Consciousness

Don Hoffman

Thanks to Bruce Bennett, Jon Merzel, Chetan Prakash, Phat Vu