Online ISSN 2653-4983
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Multiscale Kinematics of Action Intention
S. F. Corbin1, C.H. Moore1, T. Davis1, K. Shockley1, * and T. Lorenz 1,2, 3
1Department of Psychology, 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 3Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Center for Cognition, Action, & Perception, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45219-0376, USA
Human motion contains rich contextual information about not only action, but action intention. In two experiments, we investigated whether the multiscale kinematic information that differentiates intentional actions is the same information to which observers attend when asked to observe an actor’s intended movement. To do so, we first recorded an actor’s movement kinematics while performing four different intentional sit-to-stand actions. Analyzing the differences in movement kinematics, we then identified the joints that contributed to differentiating the actions using principal components analysis and multinomial regression. Observers were then shown point-light displays of these movements and given a forced-choice task to select which action the actor...more
All Intelligence is Collective Intelligence
J. B. Falandays 1, R. O. Kaaronen 2, C. Moser 3, W. Rorot 4, J. Tan 5, V. Varma 6, T. Williams 3, and M. Youngblood 7
1.Department of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences, Brown University
2 Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki
3 Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced
4 Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, University of Warsaw
5 Department of Computer Science, Oxford University
6 Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
7 Minds and Traditions Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology
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Collective intelligence, broadly conceived, refers to the adaptive behavior achieved by groups through the interactions of their members, often involving phenomena such as consensus building, cooperation, and competition. The standard view of collective intelligence is that it is a distinct phenomenon from supposed individual intelligence. In this position piece, we argue that a more parsimonious stance is to consider all intelligent adaptive behavior as being driven by similar abstract principles of collective dynamics. To illustrate this point, we highlight how similar principles are at work in the intelligent behavior of groups of non-human animals, multicellular organisms, brains, small groups of humans, cultures, more
Is Alzheimer’s Disease a Manifestation of Brain Quantum Decoherence Resulting from
Mitochondrial and Microtubular Deterioration?
T.W. Nichols1, M.H. Berman1 and J.A. Tuszynski 2,3
1 Quietmind Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2 Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
3 DIMEAS, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
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The etiology of Alzheimer's dementia is, at best multifactorial. Before the emergence of cognitive impairment, symptoms such as thinning of the cortex, accumulation of β-amyloid, and decreased hippocampal volume are common. Hence, the accumulation of β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau fibrillary tangles are two pathological hallmarks in Alzheimer's disease brains, but antibody therapy aimed to decrease β-amyloid has been a failure and, in most optimistic opinions, may delay somewhat disease progression. However, 31-38 % of subjects develop cerebral micro-hemorrhages in aducanumab therapy, an antibody to the amyloid beta plaque by Biogen. Genetics such as Apo E3/E3 have demonstrated defects in the blood-brain barrier in early-onset dementia...more
New Insights into Holonomic Brain Theory: Implications for Active Consciousness
E. Alemdar 1,2, R. R. Poznanski 2, L.A. Cacha 2, G. Leisman 3,4 and E. J. Brändas 5
1 Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya Üniversite, 54050 Serdivan/Sakarya, Turkey
2 Integrative Neuroscience Group, Melbourne, Australia 3145
3 Movement and Cognition Laboratory, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel 3498838
4 Facultad 'Manuel Fajardo', Instituto de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
5 Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 21 Uppsala, Sweden
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This pioneering research on how specific molecules deep inside our brains form a dynamic information holarchy in phase space, linking mind and consciousness, is not only provocative but also revolutionary. Holonomic is a dynamic encapsulation of the holonic view that originates from the word “holon” and designates a holarchical rather than a hierarchical, dynamic brain organization to encompass multiscale effects. The unitary nature of consciousness being interconnected stems from a multiscalar organization of the brain. We aim to give a holonomic modification of the thermodynamic approach to the problem of consciousness using spatiotemporal intermittency...more
PERSPECTIVE
The act of understanding uncertainty is consciousness
Roman R. Poznanski, Jan Holmgren, Lleuvelyn A. Cacha, Eda Alemdar and Erkki J. Brändas
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We define precognitive affect, composed of information holding dispositional states, as noncontextual, rudimentary building blocks of subjective intentionality. We take on a psychodynamic approach to intentional agency. Intentions unfold into actions in animate thermodynamics reducing subjective uncertainty by negentropic action. They are intentions in action carrying meaning in species having complex protein interactions with various regulated gene sets. In particular, the unfolding of intentionality in terms of biological purpose introduced by subjective functioning allows for a satisfactory account of subjective intentionality. The underlying experience of acting paves the way for understanding meaning of precognitive affect from subjective functioning. Therefore, the brain’s subjective intentionality as the underlying experience of acting is embedded in a negentropic “consciousness code” of “hidden” thermodynamic energy. It is the negentropically-derived quantum potential energy in the unified functioning of brain consciousness at the macroscopic scale. While at the mesoscopic scale, Schrödinger processes create boundary conditions for negentropic action to inform the intentional agency.
BRIEF REPORT
The Superfluid Vacuum and the neural nature of the Universe
Sabato Scala
5
Recent experiments seem to confirm the Bohmian interpretation of quantum mechanics by supporting the hypothesis of the existence of what Bohm called "pilot waves”, but numerous clues coming from the world of scientific research, suggest the existence of what Prigogine identified as the "world behind the scenes" that seems to underlie quantum phenomena; in particular, life related phenomena have anti-entropic behaviors opposite to those typical of classical thermodynamics, showing increases in the degree of order coexisting with the absorption of energy from the environment. If we limited ourselves to the physics of the macroscopic world, except not wanting to admit the existence of "delayed potentials" or "feedbacks" that travel in the opposite direction to that of propagation of the phenomenon, or even through an inversion of the "cause- effect" and of time, as proposed by the "syntropic”mechanism theorized by Luigi Fantappié, it is necessary to look elsewhere for the origin of these behaviors. In this article, starting from recent studies on the superfluid nature of vacuum , taking into account the possibility of a description of polar superfluids through an Ising model, or through a Spin Glass model, and the relative connection of these mathematical models with Hopfield's neural networks, the possibility is suggested that quantum phenomena are connected to an emergent behavior of the void that can be explained through its intrinsic dynamic behavior that can be described with neural mathematical models. In other words, a neural nature of the superfluid vacuum is proposed, and the consequences of this hypothesis are examined.
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REVIEW
An important new chapter in Neuroscience
Henry C. Tuckwell
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Neuroscience began an important new chapter in the 1980s when it was demonstrated that the induction of cFos occurred in response to the stimulation of acetylcholine receptors in neuron-like cells. Transcription of cfos commenced within minutes and involved an influx of extracellular Ca2+ through voltage-sensitive calcium channels. Neuronal activity in many neuron types and brain regions led to the induction of many genes on various time scales. The first to be activated were immediate early genes (IEGs), including the Fos family cfos, fosB, fra1, fra2, and several isoforms. A short form of fosB called ΔFosB resisted degradation and was thought to play a role in inducing changes in addiction-related neurons. The protein products of many IEGs act as transcription factors important in neurons of the central nervous system for their roles in neuronal plasticity, exemplified by learning and memory, addiction and several neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. This article describes experimental data and the biochemical processes underlying the pathways that lead to such transcription as a prelude to modeling.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Backpropagation and repetitive discharge of sodium spikes in sparsely excitable dendrites
Nicolangelo L. Iannella and Roman R. Poznanski
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We derive an approximate analytical solution of a nonlinear cable equation describing the backpropagation of action potentials in sparsely excitable dendrites with clusters of transiently activating, TTX-sensitive Na+ channels of low density, discretely distributed as point sources of transmembrane current along a continuous (non-segmented) passive cable structure. Each cluster or hotspot, corresponding to a mesoscopic level description of Na+ ion channels, included known cumulative inactivation kinetics observed at the microscopic level. In such a reduced third-order system, the ‘recovery’ variable is an electrogenic sodium-pump and/or a Na+-Ca2+ exchanger imbedded in the passive membrane, and a high leakage conductance stabilizes the system. A nonlinear cable equation was used to investigate back-propagation and repetitive activity of action potentials, exhibiting characteristics of the modified Hodgkin-Huxley kinetics (in the presence of suprathreshold input). In particular, a time-dependent analytical solution was obtained through a perturbation expansion of the membrane potential (V) for all voltage dependent terms including the voltage dependent Na+ activation (m) and state-dependent inactivation (h) gating variables and then solving the resulting system of integral equations. It was shown that back-propagating action potentials attenuate in amplitude dependent on the discrete and low-density distributions of transient Na+ channels along the cable structure. A major significance of integrative modelling is the provision of a continuous description of the non-dimensional membrane potential (Φ) as a function of position.
REVIEW
On brain criticality in the context of resonance
Gerry Leisman
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Biofields integrate several physiological levels temporally and spatially. Physiological coherence complements metabolic processes, which preserve animal cellular and physiological function. Coherent physiology involves internal biological system coordination and sensitivity to specific stimuli and signal frequencies. Current research shows that exogenous biologically and non-biologically generated energy entrains human physiological systems. Electrical and magnetic field measurements during physiological activity may occur from metabolic processes or unknown physiological actions. All living things resonate at similar or coherent frequencies; therefore, species will eventually share resonance. Resonance is a term closely related to awareness, interregional connections or disconnection in the brain, and the integratory function of the brain. It can describe synchrony, vibration, or harmony more broadly. The synchronized electrical cycles of the brain have similar resonance patterns. Resonance's significance in fostering integrated brain activity, awareness, awakeness and death are reviewed.
PERSPECTIVE
Infoautopoiesis and Consciousness
Jaime F. Cárdenas-García
The process of infoautopoiesis (info = information; auto = self; poiesis = production), a self-referential, sensory commensurable, recursive and interactive homeorhetic feedback process immanent to Bateson’s difference which makes a difference. Infoautopoiesis as a sensation information-action-sensation... process is at the center of resolving the fundamental problem of information, engaging all humans in their efforts to satisfy their physiological (internal/external) and relational needs, elucidating how they interact with their environment and how these interactions are constitutive of information generation, information exchange, information relations and life.