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  • Write4U replied to the topic 15 Years Late in the forum Introduce Yourself 3 years, 5 months ago

    I agree that motivated (intentional) action in humans is the result of complex neural patterns.  As Tegmark posits, there may be complex patterns that acquire an emergent conscious quality, just as wetness is an emergent quality of a complex pattern formed by trillions of dry H2O molecules.

    But that does not alter the fact H2O and Microtubules are some of the simplest molecular patterns (dimers) with potential emergent self-ordering states depending on sufficient quantity and temperature.  Note that anesthesia renders the conscious extrospective part of the brain unconscious but does not affect the introspective part of the brain that continues to regulate homeostasis. Each brain pattern has a different emergent quality, just as H2O may be in a solid or liquid state, even in relatively close proximity.

    Cold temp. H2O = Ice (solid).

    Moderate temp. H2O = Water (liquid)

    Hot temp. H2O =  Gas  (vapor)

     Model of hydrogen bonds (1) between molecules of water

    Water, ice, and vapour[edit]

    Within the Earth’s atmosphere and surface, the liquid phase is the most common and is the form that is generally denoted by the word “water”. The solid phase of water is known as ice and commonly takes the structure of hard, amalgamated crystals, such as ice cubes, or loosely accumulated granular crystals, like snow. Aside from common hexagonal crystalline ice, other crystalline and amorphous phases of ice are known. The gaseous phase of water is known as water vapor (or steam). Visible steam and clouds are formed from minute droplets of water suspended in the air.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Properties_of_water#

    So we do start with simplicity and as the self-forming pattern increase in complexity, the whole acquires emergent properties and qualities that are greater than the sum of its parts, and may be called an emergent supernatural quality  (ice and water do not exist as independent physical entities), but are not added by or a product of a  motivated supernatural agency.  Tegmark calls that: “Not starting by asking the hard question, but starting with hard facts”, which are found in the simpler patterns.

    What are microtubules?

    Microtubules are hollow cylinders [1] that are approximately 25nm in diameter [2] and vary in length from 200 nm to 25 μm. They are formed by the lateral association of between 12 and 17 protofilaments into a regular helical lattice [2],[3]. Each protofilament consists of repeating units of polymerized alpha (α) and beta (β) tubulin monomers, all pointed in the same direction. Multiple contacts within the microtubule, between both tubulin subunits and the protofilaments, impart rigidity [4].

    What are microtubules?