2 research outputs found
Conformal Cyclic Cosmology Signatures and Anomalies of the CMB Sky
Circles of low-variance and Hawking points in the Cosmic Microwave Background
(CMB), resulting from black hole mergers and black hole evaporation,
respectively, in a previous cycle of the universe, have been predicted as
possible evidence for the Conformal Cyclic Cosmology model (CCC) introduced by
R. Penrose. We present a high-resolution search for such low-variance circles
in the Planck and WMAP CMB data, and introduce HawkingNet, our machine learning
open-source software based on a ResNet18 algorithm, to search for Hawking
points in the CMB. We find that CMB anomalies, consisting of a few bright
pixels, erroneously lead to regions with many low-variance circles, and
consequently sets of concentric low-variance circles, when applying the search
criteria used in previous work [V.G. Gurzadyan, R. Penrose]. After removing the
anomalies from the data no statistically significant low-variance circles can
be found. Concerning Hawking points, also no statistically significant evidence
is found when using a Gaussian temperature amplitude model over 1 degree
opening angle and after accounting for CMB anomalies. That CMB anomalies
themselves might be remnants of Hawking points is not supported by low-variance
and/or low-temperature circles around them. The absence of such
statistically-significant distinct features in the currently available CMB data
does not disprove the CCC model but implies that higher resolution CMB data
and/or refined CCC based predictions are needed to pursue the search for CCC
signatures.Comment: prepared for JCAP rev
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Testing the Conjecture That Quantum Processes Create Conscious Experience.
The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest-pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness, yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. In the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because, to date, no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here, we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human conscious experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces