About this Event
This one is special. Chris Fields, whose work with researchers like Michael Levin and Karl Friston has reshaped how scientists think about mind and matter, said yes to Deep Dive! One night only, don't wait to book your seat.
⚛️ Lecture: "What Can Quantum Theory Tell Us About Consciousness?"
🎤 Speaker: Chris Fields, physicist and information scientist working across quantum theory, cognition and consciousness
📍 Location: Keanu Izakaya, Eixample
📅 Saturday, 24 October, doors open at 6:30 PM
People have been linking quantum theory and consciousness since the 1930s. The problem is that quantum theory says nothing directly about consciousness, and almost every serious theory of consciousness is purely classical. So is the connection real, or just a good story?
Chris has spent decades on exactly this question. He will show how "bare bones" quantum theory, with nothing mystical added, leads to a picture of the world in which every system, from an atom to you and me, has to use freedom of choice and inferential skill just to stay distinct from its environment. From there it is a surprisingly short step from some systems having experiences to all systems having them, including our environments. The question stops being whether something has experiences, and becomes what it experiences.
The night has three parts:
What quantum theory actually says: the bare bones, without the hype, and why it has so little to say about minds on its own.
Where consciousness comes in: how choice and inference fall out of the theory, and what that means for atoms, cells, brains and everything in between.
So what?: a short discussion after the break on what changes if we take this view seriously, then your questions.
Chris explains physics to people who don't work in physics, which is exactly the point of the night. No background needed.
The talk runs about 30 minutes, followed by a short "so what?" discussion and open Q&A, with time to chat with Chris and the rest of the room after.
Agenda
6:30 PM - Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line, arriving early is key.
6:55 PM - Host introduction
7:00 PM - Lecture begins
7:30 PM - Short break
7:40 PM - "So what?" discussion
8:00 PM - Q&A
8:10 PM - Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round
See you there 🍷 IG: @deepdive.bcn
This lecture will be held in English.
Event venue & nearby stays
Keanu Izakaya Bar, 209 Carrer de París, Barcelona, Spain
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