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The Quantum Brain: The Search for Freedom and the Next Generation of Man
An enthralling look at the convergence of brain science, biological computation and quantum physics, and what it implies about our minds, our selves, our future, even God
Do we really have free will or do we just imagine we do? Do we create our own destinies, or are we merely machines? Will the machines we are now making themselves have free will? These are the fundamental questions of The Quantum Brain. To answer them, psychiatrist, researcher, and critically acclaimed author Jeffrey Satinover first explores the latest discoveries in neuroscience, modern physics, and radically new kinds of computing, then shows how, together, they suggest the brain embodies and amplifies the mysterious laws of quantum physics. By its doing so, Satinover argues we are elevated above the mere learning machines modern science assumes us to be. Satinover also makes two provocative We will soon construct artificial devices as free and aware as we are; as well as begin a startling re-evaluation of just who and what we are, of our place in the universe, and perhaps even of God.
Do we really have free will or do we just imagine we do? Do we create our own destinies, or are we merely machines? Will the machines we are now making themselves have free will? These are the fundamental questions of The Quantum Brain. To answer them, psychiatrist, researcher, and critically acclaimed author Jeffrey Satinover first explores the latest discoveries in neuroscience, modern physics, and radically new kinds of computing, then shows how, together, they suggest the brain embodies and amplifies the mysterious laws of quantum physics. By its doing so, Satinover argues we are elevated above the mere learning machines modern science assumes us to be. Satinover also makes two provocative We will soon construct artificial devices as free and aware as we are; as well as begin a startling re-evaluation of just who and what we are, of our place in the universe, and perhaps even of God.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 11, 2011
The Quantum Brain is a deeply flawed book. Instead of counting the ways (which would simply take too long) I’ll focus on two fundamental errors that result from the brain of a sloppy thinker.
Before we begin, you have to understand that Satinover is an ideologue. Which means that he has preconceived notions of reality. He then selects evidence to support his preconceived notions, ignoring evidence that does not. This type of thinking is called “confirmation bias” – the tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions. What are Satinover’s preconceived notions?
1) He believes that the brain functions like a computer.
2) He’s a religious nut.
3) He believes that being gay is a disease from which you can be cured. This does not come up in this book, and has absolutely nothing to do with this review, but it does point to the fact that Satinover is driven by ideology, not science. But we’ll get back to that.
First, Satinover makes the claim that the brain is a neural net and supports this claim with supposed evidence provided by computer models and simulations. One example he cites is the miracle of the XOR gate. In a remarkable leap of creative scientific discovery (Eureka!) it was discovered that a computer can simulate a XOR decision (A or B, but not both A and B). Wow right?!? I suppose this means that machine self awareness is right around the corner.
People love analogies. Superman is as fast as a speeding bullet. The mind is like a computer. But these are only analogies. Superman is nothing like a bullet (he has a cape and a secret identity after all and bullets do not). Neither is the brain anything like a computer. The analogy is useful, but flawed when taken literally. Satinover takes it completely literally. The “Chinese Box” thought experiment does a very good job illustrating why Satinover’s thinking is wrongheaded. It also illustrates why we don’t have thinking machines at our disposal.
Next, Satinover introduces us to the idea of the Quantum Mind. If you’re not familiar with this topic you can get an overview on Wiki.
In a nutshell, it is a hypothesis proposing that classical mechanics cannot fully explain consciousness, and suggests that quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum entanglement and superposition, may play an important part in the brain's function, and could form the basis of an explanation of consciousness.
Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. It’s a hypothesis with no supporting evidence as of yet. This is fine, you need a working hypothesis as a basis to begin the search for evidence to test whether it’s true.
In true confirmation bias mode, Satinover presents all the evidence at his disposal to attempt to show Quantum Mind as fact, and none of the criticisms or contradictory evidence that indicate that it may be false.
So, this brings us back to the question. Why is Satinover so dedicated misleading his reader such that he provides only one side of the story and draws conclusions that are not supported by the best evidence of science? The answer is found in the final chapter – funny that he should spring it on the unsuspecting reader right at the end rather than be up front and honest about his ideology.
SPOILER ALERT!: It’s all about establishing a foothold in order to put religion into science … pure and simple. The book is a paragon of intellectual dishonesty and should be filed under religion, not science.
Oh … and the whole thing about curing the gay? Religion as well.
Santinover is an ideologue who wraps his personal opinion and beliefs in deceipt and sciency sounding garb.
Before we begin, you have to understand that Satinover is an ideologue. Which means that he has preconceived notions of reality. He then selects evidence to support his preconceived notions, ignoring evidence that does not. This type of thinking is called “confirmation bias” – the tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions. What are Satinover’s preconceived notions?
1) He believes that the brain functions like a computer.
2) He’s a religious nut.
3) He believes that being gay is a disease from which you can be cured. This does not come up in this book, and has absolutely nothing to do with this review, but it does point to the fact that Satinover is driven by ideology, not science. But we’ll get back to that.
First, Satinover makes the claim that the brain is a neural net and supports this claim with supposed evidence provided by computer models and simulations. One example he cites is the miracle of the XOR gate. In a remarkable leap of creative scientific discovery (Eureka!) it was discovered that a computer can simulate a XOR decision (A or B, but not both A and B). Wow right?!? I suppose this means that machine self awareness is right around the corner.
People love analogies. Superman is as fast as a speeding bullet. The mind is like a computer. But these are only analogies. Superman is nothing like a bullet (he has a cape and a secret identity after all and bullets do not). Neither is the brain anything like a computer. The analogy is useful, but flawed when taken literally. Satinover takes it completely literally. The “Chinese Box” thought experiment does a very good job illustrating why Satinover’s thinking is wrongheaded. It also illustrates why we don’t have thinking machines at our disposal.
Next, Satinover introduces us to the idea of the Quantum Mind. If you’re not familiar with this topic you can get an overview on Wiki.
In a nutshell, it is a hypothesis proposing that classical mechanics cannot fully explain consciousness, and suggests that quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum entanglement and superposition, may play an important part in the brain's function, and could form the basis of an explanation of consciousness.
Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. It’s a hypothesis with no supporting evidence as of yet. This is fine, you need a working hypothesis as a basis to begin the search for evidence to test whether it’s true.
In true confirmation bias mode, Satinover presents all the evidence at his disposal to attempt to show Quantum Mind as fact, and none of the criticisms or contradictory evidence that indicate that it may be false.
So, this brings us back to the question. Why is Satinover so dedicated misleading his reader such that he provides only one side of the story and draws conclusions that are not supported by the best evidence of science? The answer is found in the final chapter – funny that he should spring it on the unsuspecting reader right at the end rather than be up front and honest about his ideology.
SPOILER ALERT!: It’s all about establishing a foothold in order to put religion into science … pure and simple. The book is a paragon of intellectual dishonesty and should be filed under religion, not science.
Oh … and the whole thing about curing the gay? Religion as well.
Santinover is an ideologue who wraps his personal opinion and beliefs in deceipt and sciency sounding garb.
October 30, 2008
They applied genetic algorithms to FPGAs and they came up with designs that don't make any sense but work. The theory is that they (the circuits) are taking advantage of non-linear effects between gates.
There is ample evidence to suggest that the structure of the brain is able to amplify quantum effects.
There is ample evidence to suggest that the structure of the brain is able to amplify quantum effects.
November 7, 2011
Still only halfway through. My library copy was missing a chapter. It's a synthesis of computer science, neurology, quantum physics and philosophy. The writing is thick and tarry and was a little hairy for me five years ago. Will report back later when I find another copy.
June 22, 2016
This is a difficult book to review, mainly because Satinover summarizes an impressive amount of tricky scientific information so that his purpose for the book gets somewhat lost. Subtitling the book with the word "freedom," Satinover is rather carefully hiding that what he is really after is to establish a scientific basis for an Augustinian/Boethian version of free will. Satinover's choices in scientific theories provide him with a means, he thinks, to synthesize free will.
The book takes on much of the zeitgeist of popular science writing at the late 1990s and early 2000s. This is basically that "science" has been dominated by "linear" and "Newtonian" and "cause and effect" thinking that leads only to the conclusion that humans are biological machines incapable of independent decision-making. However, there are some heroes hanging around virtually unnoticed who have in the latter half of the 20th century "blown apart" the "linear" view and replaced it with a network view of nature. Satinover, thankfully, avoids the old canard of "wholistic" science and both correctly and accurately castigates the mystical, new age science writers (think Fritjof Capra, Gregory Bateson, and so on) for mischaracterizing the science they discuss. Satinover tries to establish something like the thesis of these mystical science writers on a more rigorous and sounder footing. His theories of choice to do this are artificial intelligence, brain biology, chaos theory, and quantum physics. Satinover wants to establish this: a) intelligence arises naturally without any need for a "governor" or controller, b) the brain works by overlapping neural networks, c) quantum effects at the subatomic level introduce "choice" into natural processes, and d) the mathematics of chaos theory show that quantum choice is not averaged out, but is actually amplified up the levels of the brain's architecture.
All of this is quite ambitious. Realizing that, Satinover spends a great deal of time showing that he fully understands the science involved and in bringing along the reader so that the reader will understand the science as he does. This attempt involves explaining experimental processes and results very carefully, and in not avoiding math. Thus, this book is not for the usual pop science reader who wants only the philosophy and the funny analogies.
The deficiency in the book is at the end, where the reader discovers what all this explaining is about. Satinover is attempting, it turns out, to establish not just a scientific basis for free will, but a scientifically-based argument that free will derives from god, and that it is based on "choice" as demonstrated in quantum effects. God, for Satinover, is in some sense the deists' god, setting the universe in motion and then letting it run. Thus, god establishes the "initial conditions" as in a chaotic, turbulent system, and then allows the effects of quantum choice to play out. This also makes his god like that of Augustin and Boethius, who "knows" the outcome from seeing all, but does not affect the outcome because of the "choice" factor built into the system.
Here we have the difference between a logical conclusion and one that "makes sense." It becomes clear because the last section of the book is in no way as rigorous as the rest. Instead, Satinover spends a great deal of time trying to say that it is not "his" god (Satinover is conservative Jewish) he is talking about, but anybody's god. He tries to make a case that physicists and other scientists are "returning" to religion and doing so because of the theories he describes. This bit is highly dubious based on the very selective examples he uses and that he provides no hard data, and that with hindsight we can see that he was just wrong. He also tries to argue that atheists "must" admit that "something" is going on if they accept all his premises. And here is the "rub," as Hamlet might say. Satinover fails to acknowledge that he has entered "god" in as an additional assumption, and one that has none of the scientific support from all the carefully described research of the rest of the book. All he can offer is that some scientists at some time started rethinking the god question, which is hardly any justification at all for the assumption. If we remove Satinover's shaky "god" assumption from the formula, then we are left merely with the situation as it exists now: conscious is a difficult scientific problem that we have not come close to solving, yet consciousness will provide the key of whether free will exists.
The book takes on much of the zeitgeist of popular science writing at the late 1990s and early 2000s. This is basically that "science" has been dominated by "linear" and "Newtonian" and "cause and effect" thinking that leads only to the conclusion that humans are biological machines incapable of independent decision-making. However, there are some heroes hanging around virtually unnoticed who have in the latter half of the 20th century "blown apart" the "linear" view and replaced it with a network view of nature. Satinover, thankfully, avoids the old canard of "wholistic" science and both correctly and accurately castigates the mystical, new age science writers (think Fritjof Capra, Gregory Bateson, and so on) for mischaracterizing the science they discuss. Satinover tries to establish something like the thesis of these mystical science writers on a more rigorous and sounder footing. His theories of choice to do this are artificial intelligence, brain biology, chaos theory, and quantum physics. Satinover wants to establish this: a) intelligence arises naturally without any need for a "governor" or controller, b) the brain works by overlapping neural networks, c) quantum effects at the subatomic level introduce "choice" into natural processes, and d) the mathematics of chaos theory show that quantum choice is not averaged out, but is actually amplified up the levels of the brain's architecture.
All of this is quite ambitious. Realizing that, Satinover spends a great deal of time showing that he fully understands the science involved and in bringing along the reader so that the reader will understand the science as he does. This attempt involves explaining experimental processes and results very carefully, and in not avoiding math. Thus, this book is not for the usual pop science reader who wants only the philosophy and the funny analogies.
The deficiency in the book is at the end, where the reader discovers what all this explaining is about. Satinover is attempting, it turns out, to establish not just a scientific basis for free will, but a scientifically-based argument that free will derives from god, and that it is based on "choice" as demonstrated in quantum effects. God, for Satinover, is in some sense the deists' god, setting the universe in motion and then letting it run. Thus, god establishes the "initial conditions" as in a chaotic, turbulent system, and then allows the effects of quantum choice to play out. This also makes his god like that of Augustin and Boethius, who "knows" the outcome from seeing all, but does not affect the outcome because of the "choice" factor built into the system.
Here we have the difference between a logical conclusion and one that "makes sense." It becomes clear because the last section of the book is in no way as rigorous as the rest. Instead, Satinover spends a great deal of time trying to say that it is not "his" god (Satinover is conservative Jewish) he is talking about, but anybody's god. He tries to make a case that physicists and other scientists are "returning" to religion and doing so because of the theories he describes. This bit is highly dubious based on the very selective examples he uses and that he provides no hard data, and that with hindsight we can see that he was just wrong. He also tries to argue that atheists "must" admit that "something" is going on if they accept all his premises. And here is the "rub," as Hamlet might say. Satinover fails to acknowledge that he has entered "god" in as an additional assumption, and one that has none of the scientific support from all the carefully described research of the rest of the book. All he can offer is that some scientists at some time started rethinking the god question, which is hardly any justification at all for the assumption. If we remove Satinover's shaky "god" assumption from the formula, then we are left merely with the situation as it exists now: conscious is a difficult scientific problem that we have not come close to solving, yet consciousness will provide the key of whether free will exists.
November 9, 2024
The Quantum Brain contains a smorgasbord of concepts, poorly explained. I found myself either confused (e.g. how exactly did quantum computing solve The Lady and Three Tigers problem?) or thankful that I had learned the concept elsewhere (e.g. protein folding) so I could follow along.
It took a while, but eventually, I understood that the author was arguing that the brain is a quantum computer... and is also a chaotic system. The combination of these two attributes means that quantum uncertainty affects our everyday reality. In other words, quantum processes that manifest at a small scale are amplified by the characteristic sensitivity to the initial conditions of any chaotic system. He repeats this statement, multiple times. It's an interesting thought! I also found his description of microtubules to be the fundamental unit of intelligence, not to mention parallel computation, to be... trippy.
Satinover introduces many concepts as part of this theory, but unfortunately he A) does a poor job at explanation, as I mentioned (and the figures are particularly terrible) and B) does not formulate -- as far as I could evaluate -- a cohesive argument.
If you are on the fence about reading the entirety of this book, I recommend you read chapter 17 first. Do you find the conclusions Satinover makes there, relating to God, Free Will, Consciousness, and everything else to be satisfactory? If so then start from the beginning and read the whole book.
If not, I still recommend looking through the table of contents. If you are unfamiliar with any of the (very interesting!) topics Satinover covers, learn them elsewhere.
I'm glad Satinover wrote this book, and I'm glad I read it. But I'm also glad I'm done. 3.4
It took a while, but eventually, I understood that the author was arguing that the brain is a quantum computer... and is also a chaotic system. The combination of these two attributes means that quantum uncertainty affects our everyday reality. In other words, quantum processes that manifest at a small scale are amplified by the characteristic sensitivity to the initial conditions of any chaotic system. He repeats this statement, multiple times. It's an interesting thought! I also found his description of microtubules to be the fundamental unit of intelligence, not to mention parallel computation, to be... trippy.
Satinover introduces many concepts as part of this theory, but unfortunately he A) does a poor job at explanation, as I mentioned (and the figures are particularly terrible) and B) does not formulate -- as far as I could evaluate -- a cohesive argument.
If you are on the fence about reading the entirety of this book, I recommend you read chapter 17 first. Do you find the conclusions Satinover makes there, relating to God, Free Will, Consciousness, and everything else to be satisfactory? If so then start from the beginning and read the whole book.
If not, I still recommend looking through the table of contents. If you are unfamiliar with any of the (very interesting!) topics Satinover covers, learn them elsewhere.
I'm glad Satinover wrote this book, and I'm glad I read it. But I'm also glad I'm done. 3.4
May 5, 2008
Though far from a knockout text on quantum mechanics (If such a thing can exist), it’s a confident jab into a reality distorted by subatomic “weirdness”.
Overall, I’d say this is a fantastic primer to prepare for deeper study of the interplay between classical and quantum physics- All delivered in an elevated, but accessible way (Even though I had to do some background reading on some of the physics and neural-network subjects to understand what the heck he was talking about).
In terms of criticism, I did have some concerns with the biology section, particularly in the protein-folding portion. Nothing said was untrue, and I agree with the core statement that protein-folding is a crazy-cool/mysterious mechanism, but I felt Dr. Satinover overplayed the degree of mystery in the subject. The text felt like it was implicating protein folding as a topic where everyone is completely clueless, when in fact scientists do have general ideas and theories on the topic (ie: protein chaperones may play larger roles than once thought, or how steric interactions assist in directing shape), albeit far from complete. Possibly he felt that addressing these things would have lengthened the book too much.
All things considered, I enjoyed and was challenged by the new ideas and concepts described, so I’m happy to have read it =)
Overall, I’d say this is a fantastic primer to prepare for deeper study of the interplay between classical and quantum physics- All delivered in an elevated, but accessible way (Even though I had to do some background reading on some of the physics and neural-network subjects to understand what the heck he was talking about).
In terms of criticism, I did have some concerns with the biology section, particularly in the protein-folding portion. Nothing said was untrue, and I agree with the core statement that protein-folding is a crazy-cool/mysterious mechanism, but I felt Dr. Satinover overplayed the degree of mystery in the subject. The text felt like it was implicating protein folding as a topic where everyone is completely clueless, when in fact scientists do have general ideas and theories on the topic (ie: protein chaperones may play larger roles than once thought, or how steric interactions assist in directing shape), albeit far from complete. Possibly he felt that addressing these things would have lengthened the book too much.
All things considered, I enjoyed and was challenged by the new ideas and concepts described, so I’m happy to have read it =)
February 15, 2009
This book is at least in my top twenty, maybe the top ten. Satinover is an MD (psychiatrist) and a particle physicist.
I believe he is an orthodox Jew, but he has been on Focus On The Family with Dobson being interviewed about his book Homosexuality and the Politics Of Truth (which is also excellent). The book needed a better editor as it has some mistakes, but it is absolutely fascinating, though pretty deep. I bought two extra copies for my sons and they helped explain some of the more difficult physics to me. The Fabric Of The Universe by Brian Green was also helpful. Satinover develops an explanation of the brain that helps to negate the arguments of materialists an explains the possibility of free will as opposed to determinism. ( It seems like some of the stuff in Darwin's Black Box was also helpful in understanding this book.)Satinover comes across as a little more liberal than I believe he really is, possibly so as to allow his ideas a fair hearing by a wider, more secular audience.
I believe he is an orthodox Jew, but he has been on Focus On The Family with Dobson being interviewed about his book Homosexuality and the Politics Of Truth (which is also excellent). The book needed a better editor as it has some mistakes, but it is absolutely fascinating, though pretty deep. I bought two extra copies for my sons and they helped explain some of the more difficult physics to me. The Fabric Of The Universe by Brian Green was also helpful. Satinover develops an explanation of the brain that helps to negate the arguments of materialists an explains the possibility of free will as opposed to determinism. ( It seems like some of the stuff in Darwin's Black Box was also helpful in understanding this book.)Satinover comes across as a little more liberal than I believe he really is, possibly so as to allow his ideas a fair hearing by a wider, more secular audience.
July 2, 2012
Heady stuff. Eminently readable. This book fundamental changed my view of free will, creativity, and the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. After years of being indoctrinated by scientific reductionism, this book was a breath of fresh air to me. We are more than the sum our parts. No where is this more true than in the human brain, where the unexpected can and does happen. Novelty, originality, genius and freedom--it's all real.
November 13, 2015
Satinover, when not bashing on gay people, is busy making up things about the brain. he has decided that quantum theory can give a person free will, obviously misunderstanding both quantum mechanics and scientific determinism.
i really liked his explanation of energy minima and the diagrams showing synapse reinforcement.
unfortunately, it all adds up to his declaration that jesus is lord.
i guess take what you can from this book, if you don't mind funding the lifestyle of a bigot.
rk
i really liked his explanation of energy minima and the diagrams showing synapse reinforcement.
unfortunately, it all adds up to his declaration that jesus is lord.
i guess take what you can from this book, if you don't mind funding the lifestyle of a bigot.
rk
October 27, 2013
Most of the attacks on this book are related to the personal beliefs of its author.
Ignore the author and read the book. It is really deep and amazing. Maybe not properly "scientific" in the modern understanding of science (but it would be perfectly scientific in the golden age of science), but really revealing.
Ignore the author and read the book. It is really deep and amazing. Maybe not properly "scientific" in the modern understanding of science (but it would be perfectly scientific in the golden age of science), but really revealing.
September 5, 2010
Dr. Satinover's sentences are overly long, somewhat hard to read. However, this technical book, a title that takes a long time to get through, is packed with fascinating ideas. Read it again and again. You'll learn a lot.
February 14, 2011
I liked it so much... The writer manages to guide us through the paths of our incredible brain in a new prospective. The quantic theory applied to the human brain could explain the incredible power of the brain...
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February 4, 2009very interesting. a good source of intuitions. a divulgative book about the subject I am interested in.
May 12, 2008
Mindbending. Highly recommended for science and tech geeks.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews