Why be conscious?

• Autores: Clare Wilson
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2917, 2013, págs. 38-39
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Wilson examines why be conscious. One of the leading theories, the global neuronal workspace model, says that sensory stimuli, such as sights and sounds, are initially processed separately and locally at an unconscious level. Only the most salient information emerges into consciousness when it ignites activity in broader networks of neurons across the rest of the brain. According to this theory, the function of consciousness is to carry out difficult or complex mental tasks--ones that require information from multiple sources to:be combined and integrated. Here, she stresses that consciousness could have evolved for multiple reasons or perhaps none. Some think that rather than having a survival advantage, it is an "epiphenomenon", simply emerging as an automatic property of intelligence.