Cracked: 5 Most Misguided Uses of the word 'Quantum'

[tsig]

Yes, it's one of my favourites too. The idea is that since there are an infinite number of universes (proven by quantum mechanics), there are an infinite variety of different yous in them. By quantum jumping, you can communicate with the different yous and they can teach you stuff.

Want to learn kung fu? Just quantum jump into the universe where you know kung fu, and get yourself to teach yourself kung fu! How simple is that?

Yes, I'm serious. Go look it up if you don't believe me.

I would never have me as a student.

 

[Reivax]

While I'm in agreement with most of the article, I think the quantum consciousness section was glossed over a bit, missing out some of the important details - especially regarding this claim:

Consciousness may exist in photons, which seem to be the carrier of all information in the universe.

It certainly is an absurd claim, yet it's a position many philosophers have taken over the years in response to the hard problem of consciousness. Specifically the positions known as panpsychism and panexperientialism. The claim isn't that photons are conscious in the way that we are, it's that consciousness is is a primary property of matter, rather than a secondary property. However, the traditional view isn't just specific to photons, it's applicable to all particles. The motivation for taking this stance is parsimony. It is not only difficult, but potentially impossible to give a third-person account of consciousness, so many have viewed solutions which take consciousness to be irreducible and universal as the only real contenders. However, this is not to say anything about cognition, which is the important factor for making consciousness anything 'interesting' or significant. The consciousness that we know and love is only possible because of the computer located between our ears, which would essentially integrate the conscious properties of matter with our amazing faculties such as memory, perception, problem solving etc. I think people tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to this kind of idea because they immediately take the proponent to be claiming something akin to 'rocks can 'feel'' - yet rocks clearly do not have the requisite nervous system and don't do any computing.

Personally, I am not a panpsychist and consider myself a physicalist. However, while I can't speak for Chopra, I can see why many people have taken such a seemingly absurd stance toward consciousness.

 

[Ladewig]

it's that consciousness is is a primary property of matter, rather than a secondary property.

If I were trying to assert that consciousness is a primary property of matter, then I'd probably say consciousness may be a primary property of matter. Saying consciousness may exist in photons is a rather ass-backwards way of asserting consciousness is a primary property of matter - especially when speaking to the general public.

ETA
Furthermore the second half of the line is ambiguous. Does he mean that photons are the only way to transmit information (as in the carrier signal was interrupted) or that they are the only way to store information (the battery carries a charge).