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Christof Koch
Consciousness
Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist
MIT Press, 2012
What's inside?
What is “consciousness,” and how do the brain and nervous system interact to create it?
Recommendation
Christof Koch, a notable researcher in the field of “consciousness,” calls himself a “romantic reductionist.” He explains that, as a reductionist, he looks for “quantitative explanations for consciousness in the ceaseless and ever-varied activity of billions of tiny nerve cells” and as a romantic, he believes “the universe has contrails of meaning that can be deciphered in the sky above us and deep within us.” In this intense scientific and personal autobiography, his prose and narrative structure prove anything but reduced. Koch details complex neurobiological experiments and studies, interweaving his life story with his philosophy about the profundity of the universe and what he interprets as the absence of a supreme deity. He addresses the weightiest topics, and his enthusiasm for them is admirable. But unless you study or work in similar areas, his complex style, long sentences and technical details may daunt even the most informed consciousness. Still, for his thoughtful expertise in multiple disciplines, getAbstract – while always neutral in matters of religion – recommends this work to philosophers, biologists, neurologists, computer scientists, and all who teach or study those fields.
Summary
About the Author
Neuroscientist Christof Koch is best known for his work on the neural bases of consciousness. He is the president and chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, Washington. His books include The Quest for Consciousness.
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