Physics in Mind: A Quantum View of the Brain

Resumen del libro

An eminent biophysicist asks: what can quantum mechanics tell us about the brain?

No one can escape a sense of awe when reflecting on the workings of the mind: we see, we hear, we are aware of the world around us. But what is the mind?

In Physics in Mind, eminent biophysicist Werner R. Loewenstein seeks and answer in the mechanisms of physics. Bringing information theory--the idea that all information can be quantified and encoded in bits--to bear on recent advances in the neurosciences, Loewenstein reveals inside the brain a web of immense computational power capable of rendering a coherent representation of the world outside. He posits that quantum mechanics could be fundamental to our mind's ability to almost instantaneously process staggering amounts of information. Wide-ranging and brimming with insight, Physics in Mind will revolutionize our understanding of how the mind works.

Werner R. Loewenstein is an emeritus professor of biophysics at Columbia University and former director of its Cell Physics Laboratory. Renowned for his discoveries in biological information transfer and cell communication, Loewenstein has lectured to general audiences in more than twenty-five different countries, and his work has been featured in the New York Times. He has contributed articles to Scientific American, and his most recent book was The Touchstone of Life. He lives in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.