Asked by: Sara Netskar, Norway

There are three main schools of thought. The higher order theory says that consciousness is the brain looking at its own activity. The brain is a machine that constructs simulations of how the outside world works and consciousness is the brain’s simulation of itself. The global workspace theories argue that consciousness is something that happens when different parts of the brain connect together to share information. And the biological theories look for a specific process or structure within the brain that creates consciousness; such as the oscillations of the signals between neurons that appear in the brain scans of conscious subjects.


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luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.