Physics, Time, and Qualia
Journal of Consciousness Studies 2021 DOI: 10.53765/20512201.28.9.036 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that quantum events are processes of becoming definite, and that qualia and time are fundamental and irreversible features of reality. |
Abstract
We suggest that four of the deepest problems in science are closely related and may share a common resolution. These are (1) the foundational problems in quantum theory, (2) the problem of quantum gravity, (3) the role of qualia and conscious awareness in nature, (4) the nature of time. We begin by proposing an answer to the question of what a quantum event is: an event is a process in which an aspect of the world which has been indefinite becomes definite. We build from this an architecture of the world in which qualia are real and consequential and time is active, fundamental, and irreversible.