The Quantum Soul

"Fabric" graphic - DS - 2006

"A pair of world-renowned quantum scientists say they can prove the existence of the soul. 

American Dr Stuart Hameroff and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose developed a quantum theory of consciousness asserting that our souls are contained inside structures called microtubules which live within our brain cells. 

Their idea stems from the notion of the brain as a biological computer, "with 100 billion neurons and their axonal firings and synaptic connections acting as information networks". 

Dr Hameroff, Professor Emeritus at the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychology and Director of the Centre of Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, and Sir Roger have been working on the theory since 1996. 

They argue that our experience of consciousness is the result of quantum gravity effects inside these microtubules - a process they call orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR). "

- Signs of the Times article, Oct. 31, 2012

***

Mechanistic? Sort of. Reductionist? Probably. Do I buy it? Not necessarily. But, it's always nice to note scientists seriously looking into the "matter" of consciousness. It's an inquiry that has to start somewhere... cause, baby, it has a long, long way to go.

Incidentally, this post is not the start of a new trend at PMB, (or the reemergence of an old trend). I add it here on a whim, and it may be removed in the near future.

Besides which, there's a bit of a synchronistic pixel trail here... While searching Penrose, I found this:

"Roger and his father are the creators of the famous Penrose staircase and the impossible triangle known as the tribar. Both of these impossible figures were used in the work of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher to create structures such as a waterfall where the water appears to flow uphill and a building with an impossible staircase which rises or falls endlessly yet returns to the same level."

-  via this  "World of Escher" page

Meanwhile, more quantum goodness...

(Hat-tip to Graham Hancock's newspage)

(... and, you might also want to check out the Daily Grail article on the same subject!)

Added note: Incidentally, you might notice a correlation between the above hypothesis and the two Mac Tonnies' quotes, found here.