Research Suggests Consciousness Uses Quantum Entanglement
This would mean the brain uses both classical and quantum physics
Hiya!
I discovered today’s topic whilst researching a different article and was instantly sucked in. After all, it combines some of my favorite subjects — neuroscience, consciousness, and physics. Though for the very same reason, I’m warning you now that things are about to get weird.
None of these three topics are exactly easy to understand on their own, but mushing them together can get a little, well, messy. It took me some time to wrap my own mind around it all before I could even sit down to write this. Thankfully, I think I grasp it well enough to save you from a mind melt. At least, if you have one, it’ll be because of what you learn rather than an inability to comprehend it. Ready? Let’s go.
Quick Refresher
First, we might want to review some basics because there are some recurring themes that frequently intertwine.
Quantum Entanglement
The most important term to know is entanglement, which lies at both the heart of quantum physics and today’s topic. Some experts believe entanglement occurs in our brains and may even bring us closer to understanding consciousness.
A very watered-down explanation is that entanglement is when elementary particles become linked and behave as one regardless of how far apart they are. So, when one changes, the other does, too, at the exact same moment. We know it happens, we just don’t totally understand how or why it does. Though, of course, that hasn’t stopped us from using it to spur the next generation of quantum computers.
Classic v Quantum Physics
Outside of entanglement, you should know about the clash between classical and quantum physics. I’ve written about this before in more detail, but basically, classical and quantum physics are the two primary realms of physics.
Classical physics governs the motion, energy, and force of the macroworld. It’s the domain of gravity and the motion of large objects like the solar system while also keeping us stuck to the ground. The brain has mostly been assumed to be a classical system.
On the flip side (after all, we exist in a world of opposites), quantum physics rules the micro-world of particles, atoms, photons, and waves that interact and behave in frustratingly unpredictable ways.
In other words: Classical physics is like the darling daughter — she follows the rules and is mostly predictable. While quantum physics is the rebel child— she throws the rules in the air like confetti and has no interest in fitting in a box.
As it stands, no one has found a way to make sisters get along — but there is no shortage of brilliant minds dedicated to making it happen. Doing so would lead to an overarching, unified theory of everything which would explain the entire Universe, and Life itself, in a single equation.
This leads us to quantum gravity, which is still hypothetical but would explain how gravity works in the quantum realm. Solving quantum gravity would help experts uncover more fundamental forces of our Universe and bring us one step closer to a unified theory.
The Good Stuff
Now that we have most of the jargon out of the way let me tell you the good stuff. In October of 2022, the Journal of Physics Communications published a study by scientists at Trinity College Dublin that suggests quantum entanglement occurs in our brains.
Of course, the idea of quantum systems existing in the brain isn’t new. There’s already been some intriguing research suggesting something quantum is going on in the brain, but we haven’t figured it out yet. For instance, a 2018 study found that xenon (an organ-protecting and anesthetic gas) with a nuclear spin of 1/2 can have anesthetic effects, while xenons without spins don’t.
The problem is we don’t understand quantum systems well enough, and it’s challenging to observe them in the brain when we don’t know what we’re looking for. In an article by Big Think about their study, one of the authors, Christian Kerskens, who’s a neuroscience researcher at Trinity, said:
“If the brain uses quantum computation, then those quantum operators may be different from operators known from atomic systems.”
So Kerskens and his collaborators had to devise a way to measure an unknown quantum system without much equipment because, well, it hasn’t been invented yet. Ultimately, they decided to stick to what other scientists were already doing to try to understand quantum gravity — use a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine that can sense entanglement.
The Study
The idea was simple — to see if an unknown quantum system would interact with a known system (proton spins in the brain) and cause entanglement. In the Big Think article Kerskens explains:
“The unknown system may interact with known systems like the proton spins [within the brain]. If the unknown system can mediate entanglement to the known system, then, it has been shown, the unknown must be quantum.”
To find out, the researchers used the MRI machine to scan 40 participants and watch the correlated activity between the subject’s brain and heartbeat. Like many organs, our heart is in two-way communication with our brain.
The heart’s connection with the brain is fascinating because, in addition to pumping blood, it reacts to many things, including our emotions, attention, motivation, and pain levels. Other research also links the heart to aging and short-term memory.
Like alpha and beta waves in the brain, our heart generates electrical signals called the heartbeat potential (HEP), which is tied to consciousness since it depends on awareness.
The Results
The researchers found that when the HEP peaked, it corresponded with a jump in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals which reflected the interactions between proton spins — and they think this instantaneous reaction might have resulted from entanglement.
Especially because the signals suggesting entanglement were only present when the participants were awake—which the researchers learned when two people fell asleep in the MRI machine, and the signal faded then disappeared.
If what they propose is true, then it would bring us closer to cracking quantum gravity and be a significant step in helping us learn how the brain functions and possibly even mean consciousness itself is a quantum system.
Perspective Shift
This research and other emerging studies indicate that quantum systems exist in the brain and may be at least required for consciousness. The researchers from Trinity believe this would mean the brain isn’t a classical system as most scientists thus far have assumed. At least, it isn’t only a classical system but also a quantum one. If it is both, it could be a perfect example of the two physics sisters working in harmony.
Knowing quantum systems have a role in our brain doesn’t mean we know how they work, though, and lots more research is needed. Still, we can search for new ways to shed light on consciousness and how it might work, along with how the brain can do so many things.
After all, artificial intelligence can compute more problems faster than we can — but there are some things our brains are better at, like creative problem-solving, imagination, and reading people or situations. So as we learn more about quantum systems in the brain, not only will we discover more about ourselves and how the brain (and possibly consciousness) works, but we’ll need to decide how to advance AI and other future quantum technologies using the knowledge we learn.
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