Review: Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It

Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It by Christof Koch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Christof Koch’s latest book gives a good overview of his work in neuroscience spanning several decades. Koch always likes a bet, and talks about settling his 25 year wager with David Chalmers: in June 2023 he handed over a case of fine Madeira wine for failing to have identified the neural correlates of consciousness in the preceding 25 years. He thinks he is closer in the elusive search for the seat of consciousness, with the hunt narrowing towards the back of the neocortex, and reckons the next 25 years or so should see it pinned down further. In terms of ‘how’ consciousness works, he is now a fervent advocate of the ambitious Integrated Information Theory (IIT) of Giuilio Tononi, a theory that more than 100 consciouness researchers have branded pseudoscience.

The chapter on IIT is, unsurprisingly, the most dense. The rest of the book is an engaging read. Christof Koch is an elegant writer, and this book starts with a very open description about one of his experiments with Psilocybin to engage the deeper parts of his conscious experiments. His later discussions on the use of this psychedelic substance provide a fascinating glance into how altered states of consciousness can offer insights into the brain’s mechanisms and the nature of subjective experience.

Koch sets out his lifelong journey of discovery. He is a materialist and reductionist, but as a supporter of IIT his views contrast with philosophers like Daniel Dennett, who were skeptical of many of the qualia of conscious experience and dismiss them as mere illusion.

Given his many decades of work in the field he is well place to stand at the crossroads of where rigorous scientific inquiry meets deeply personal reflection. Koch navigates the complexities of how consciousness emerges from the brain, offering readers an accessible yet intellectually rich exploration.

In addition to his scientific rigor, Koch opens up on his personal journey—from Catholic altar boy, to agnostic materialist, to someone who accepts the world in all its glorious qualia. This infuses the narrative with a sense of intellectual humility and openness. Koch’s ability to weave complex theories with philosophical musings and personal insights makes Then I Am Myself the World a standout contribution. The book is not just a scientific treatise but also a meditation on the profound mysteries of existence.

I have read several of his books, and rate him highly as a scientist and thinker. He appears to have much more humility than many of his contemporaries in the field, and although I don’t agree with all his conclusions, he is certainly someone I would love to spend an evening drinking beer with. This book is highly recommended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of consciousness.

I gave it five stars.

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Review: The Sound of Waves

The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mishima must have been uncharacteristically cheerful when he wrote this delightful short novel about a fishing island in 1950s Japan.

Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. The girl's father thinks he has no prospects and prohibits her from meeting the boy. The boy proves himself a hero, and the father gives his blessing—the end.

Shinji has just turned 18, and other than his daily work on a fishing vessel, he has never left town. He falls innocently for the new girl in town, Hatsue, and his interest in her sparks the gossip of their tight-knit community fueled by the jealousy of his peers.

Fourteen hundred people live on Song Island, Uta-Jima, within its three-mile coastal universe. The island is steeped in ancient myths and appears to have escaped much of the effects of war and industrialization, with its residents living their lives as if the Meiji Restoration had never happened. The women swim bare-chested for abalone, and the men venture out to collect octopus and squid from their designated fishing grounds, occasionally trawling illicitly for other fish.

Mishima’s detailed yet uncomplicated prose immerses us in the salt-soaked fishing ropes and octopus pots and takes us through the lush undergrowth of the island to its few viewing points. The writing here is more straightforward than in the Meiji and Taisho-set Spring Snow, and the love story is thankfully not as doomed. There is only a fleeting reference to suicide, a hallmark of Mishima’s writing and life.

Shinji's character, with his simple desires and a keen sense of duty, reflects the island itself—pure, unspoiled, and steadfast in its purpose. His relationship with Hatsue is one of semi-innocence and genuine affection, contrasting with the more cynical and materialistic world emerging beyond the island. The soft struggle against gossip adds depth to the narrative, subtly exploring honour, purity, and tradition.

The setting of Uta-Jima plays a crucial role in the novel, almost becoming a character. Mishima’s portrayal of the island’s timelessness and the residents’ connection to the sea highlights a way of life that is rapidly disappearing in post-war Japan. The novel hints briefly at the encroachment of modernity and even acknowledges the inevitability of change, with a peddler's plastic bag being more prized than the material to make a kimono.

The love story’s resolution, with Shinji’s heroic deeds winning over Hatsue’s father, might seem conventional, but it feels earned. It’s a rare optimistic note in Mishima’s oeuvre, offering a glimpse of hope and continuity amidst the inevitable passage of time.

I was transported to Song Island, an innocent escape from the modern world, and appreciated the simplicity and purity of both the setting and the story.

I liked the book and gave it four stars.

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Review: A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book offers an intriguing exploration into an alternate architecture of intelligence, drawing from Hawkin's extensive background in neuroscience and computing (he helped design the Palm Pilot). The book is divided into three parts, each tackling a distinct aspect of brain function and its implications for artificial intelligence and beyond.

The book's first part is a compelling dive into the world of cortical columns. It focuses on the importance of the brain's cortex (the crumpled outer layer), which is thought to have evolved later than the older 'reptilian brain', which the author dismisses throughout the book (despite the fact it keeps him and other humans alive). Hawkins suggests that if you spread the brain's 'newer' neocortex out on a table into its 2.5mm thick extra-large pizza size, you would be looking at 150,000 similar 'columns' that extend through the six layers of the cortex. He builds on the ideas of Vernon Mountcastle, who, in 1978, put forth a hypothesis that a single unifying computational principle might be operating across the entire cortex. There are anatomical similarities across cortical areas, and some experiments have shown that these can be repurposed. If inputs from the optic nerve are diverted via the auditory thalamus to the auditory cortex, the auditory cortex can develop the properties associated with the visual receptive field.

Hawkins presents a detailed and engaging description of these structures, proposing that they function as self-contained predictive processing components in the brain. He further hangs his theory on the idea that each column has the equivalent of 'place' and 'grid' cells, thought to exist in the 'older' brain structures, that can help create a reference model for part of the external world. His explanation of how these columns work together to form a model of the world is both accessible and thought-provoking. This section alone makes the book a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the mechanics of the brain and the nature of intelligence. There are some areas of overlap and agreement with work done by Rajesh Rao, Karl Friston and Andy Clark - legends in the field.

However, the second part, which delves into artificial intelligence, falls short of the high standard set by the initial chapters. While informed by his understanding of brain function, Hawkins' insights into AI seem neither groundbreaking nor remarkably cohesive. The discussion meanders, lacking the clarity and depth that characterize the book's opening.

The final part of A Thousand Brains unexpectedly turns philosophical, and Hawkins' tone becomes markedly more strident. His alignment with Richard Dawkins (who wrote the fawning introduction) and the other New Atheists (Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens) is evident as he dismisses with unnecessary arrogance the faith of billions as a "viral false belief." This sweeping generalization feels out of place in a book grounded in scientific inquiry. Hawkins' approach here may alienate readers who hold religious beliefs or seek a more nuanced discussion of faith and reason.

A Thousand Brains is a book of mixed strengths. Its first part shines with insightful analysis and accessible explanations of complex neuroscience concepts. In my opinion Hawkins should have stopped here. The subsequent sections lack the same rigour and coherence, with the third part straying into an unexpectedly dismissive and dogmatic critique of religion. He also skips lightly over consciousness, clearly taking a dig at both Koch (Christof Koch) and David Chalmers and echoing the 'there is no hard problem of consciousness' akin to Anil Seth (Being You: A New Science of Consciousness).

Despite these shortcomings, Hawkins' exploration of cortical columns offers valuable food for thought, making the book a worthwhile, if uneven, read.

I gave the book three stars.


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