March 10, 1997

David Chalmers to explore the "puzzle of consciousness" in humanities lecture

By Barbara McKenna

David Chalmers, assistant professor of philosophy, will present the talk, "The Puzzle of Consciousness" from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, at the Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center, 705 Front St. The talk is a part of the Humanities Lecture Series, sponsored jointly by UCSC's Humanities Division and the Museum of Art and History. The talk is free and open to the public. A reception follows.

In his talk, Chalmers will discuss the ideas in his 1995 book, The Conscious Mind, which aims to establish an approach to understanding one of our great modern mysteries--consciousness.

Until recently most researchers have assumed that the answers to consciousness will eventually be found through cognitive science and neuroscience. But Chalmers believes that to understand consciousness we must look beyond the physical processes of the brain.

Despite extraordinary advances, existing sciences only address what he calls the "easy problems" of consciousness--how the brain processes information and controls behavior. Chalmers readily acknowledges that these problems are quite complex and may take a century or more to resolve. But to unlock the central mystery of consciousness, he contends, researchers must look at what he calls the "hard problem"--how the activity of the brain gives rise to a subjective inner life.

"How do we explain this rich ineffable experience we have of the world--the way we feel when we see deep red or hear the melancholy sound of a far-off oboe," Chalmers asks.

The Conscious Mind has provoked a spirited debate among eminent scientists. At the forefront are such figures as Francis Crick (who discovered DNA) and Pulitzer Prize-winning cognitive and computer scientist Douglas Hofstadter, who describes Chalmers's book as "a grand exploration of the topic, brilliantly argued."

Media across the globe have chronicled both the debate and the book itself, which was hailed as one of the best science books of 1996 by the London Times.

For more information on the lecture, call (408) 459-2696 or (408) 429-1964.

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