Importance of quantum decoherence in brain processes.
M Tegmark
Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics April 2000 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.61.4194 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that neural decoherence timescales (10^-13 to 10^-20 s) are far shorter than dynamical timescales (10^-3 to 10^-1 s), indicating the brain's cognitive processes are classical, not quantum, and disagreeing with Penrose's quantum consciousness proposal. |
Abstract
Based on a calculation of neural decoherence rates, we argue that the degrees of freedom of the human brain that relate to cognitive processes should be thought of as a classical rather than quantum system, i.e., that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the current classical approach to neural network simulations. We find that the decoherence time scales ( approximately 10(-13)-10(-20) s) are typically much shorter than the relevant dynamical time scales ( approximately 10(-3)-10(-1) s), both for regular neuron firing and for kinklike polarization excitations in microtubules. This conclusion disagrees with suggestions by Penrose and others that the brain acts as a quantum computer, and that quantum coherence is related to consciousness in a fundamental way.
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