The Conscious Universe: From Big Bang to Mind

We live a miracle every day, a world of colored reflections in a river, scents of flowers, birdsong, and a warm breeze. Buried below our living experience, science has discovered a world of atoms and vibrations, a world of blind elementary forces. These forces operate everywhere in the known universe, including in the chemistry of our bodies. Most poignantly, they operate in our brains. How does the experience of our conscious life emerge from this dry world of atomic forces? Should we expect science to give a satisfactory answer to this question? Practical developments such as genetic engineering and brain imaging have brought a contemporary vitality to these questions. This book explores the linked hierarchy of science, from physics to brain structure. Within this journey, progressively deeper questions are asked about the nature and limits of scientific explanation. Tom Crawford BSc Ph.D. DEng FRSE The Author has a professional career in Research and Development in areas of scientific measurement and has conducted research as a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh. He has patents and professional papers in scientific/engineering topics, including specialist areas of artificial intelligence. The Author maintains a lifelong interest in philosophy and the sciences. His other enthusiasms have included hill walking and flying light aircraft.